Tramshed, Cardiff
Mon 3 July
For many, Gogol Bordello are one of the best live prospects around currently. Drawing on punk’s energy and folk musical styles from all over the world, their gigs are never anything less than an all-out party, led by the gloriously-moustachioed frontman and instigator Eugene Hütz.
Cutting through the phone with his trademark Ukrainian twang, he’s more erudite than his party-mad stage persona might suggest. Then again, this is a man who loves engaging with local folk music wherever he travels: “What I find in this music is kind of a key to a perception of life… a lot of this music is autonomous and very high quality. Folkloric music in the so-called third world, which is basically most of the world, has such an insane amount of very high quality musicianship.”
Folk music is often rooted as some kind of authentic connection with people’s collective histories. Is there such a thing as non-authentic folk music? Hütz, perhaps controversially, picks out flamenco immediately. “When you go to Spain you see flamenco presented as the national style of Spain, and at the airport you can probably get a flamenco CD. But flamenco is very clearly an Arabic-influenced music, it was brought in by Moors and Gypsies. It was so exciting it became a sensation, and because a lot of Gypsies stayed in Spain, it became a national treasure. It’s a perfect example of how the whole notion of anything authentic can easily crumble.”
Gogol Bordello often seem as if they’re teetering on the edge of chaos, but behind the curtain there is a well-oiled machine that seamlessly integrates its parts and influence. Hütz writes the songs, but when he brings it to the band, all sorts of magic can happen. “It’s very much like that Jim Jarmusch film Down By Law. There’s practically no script – a ballad can turn into an outrageous speedy number and vice-versa. For example, When Universes Collide, perhaps the slowest and most drawn-out song, was initially a very raucous fast track.” That raucous brand of madness will certainly liven up the Tramshed in July. Party!
Tickets: £22.50. Info: 029 2023 5555
words FEDOR TOT