Gogol Bordello
London Camden Electric Ballroom
30th May, 2007

Gypsy-punk is at its peak and its leading lights are Gogol Bordello, moustachioed Eugene Hutz’s crazy-looking collective of musicians and singers. They trade in Pogues-like punk and Eastern European gypsy music, and create a lot of noise and strong messages. Their diverse fan base of all ages, from a heavy Eastern European contingent to funky young Camden types, were as one swept up by the madness created by GB. Hutz’s energy and charisma immediately told and created a jumping, sweating wave of people that didn’t let up for nearly two hours. Among the highlights were anthems such as Start Wearing Purple and Not A Crime, as well as snippets from new album Super Taranta, all of which saw accordionist Yuri Lemeshev and violinist Sergey Rjabtzev trading blows, fuelling the dervishes of percussionists Liz Sun and Pamela Racine, while Oren Kaplan’s keening guitar lines shone. But it was Hutz’s barking antics that grabbed the spotlight, along with Madonna’s attendance. Long may her king gypsy reign.