“It’s perfectly chaotic” — thank you, Northern Accented Bloke To The Left Of Us — you just perfectly summed up this evening. Nestled between EST and Fourtet, GoGo Penguin hit a spot that summons groove-ridden trance.
Pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner receive a heroes’ welcome at the Village Underground, and well they might. The set grabs hold of all the best material from V2.0 (Gondwana records) and injects the fierce creativity of Man Made Object (Blue Note) to powerful effect.
A special mention for the lighting engineer(s) — the Village Underground is a space that laps up attention to detail and this show was a tour de force. GoGo are Mancunian lads whose music speaks for itself. The light show is all the more deft for sitting behind and through the band; fingers of light reach over the audience at just the right moment to illuminate the set. This is a team who know how to take their audience on a journey.
At GoGo Penguin gigs you can throw your beer in the air to toast the band. You can dance however you like; wear whatever you want. The music was all consuming, allowing you to focus on one particular moment currently consuming your own life with clarity. Credit to those who create the opportunity for all-consuming gigs like these.
GoGo Penguin have sold out their next show at Koko. If you want to see them live in London, get down to the Roundhouse on 5 November.