Gogol Bordello, Manchester Academy. 6th December 2023

This could go one of several ways. Such is the chaotic nature of Gogol Bordello and I can only assume that goes for the live show too. This is my first time in the room with them and I only really know one album. I’m sure it’ll be alright though. Right? It’s bloody Baltic outside and I need warming up fast. I was hoping to walk into a packed room already heaving with heat. That’s not quite the case, it’s busy but comfortable. The jumper is definitely staying on. Subtle they are not. There’s seven of them up there, some wielding fiddles and a harpsichord. Eugene is dressed in a NY Yankees shirt and a circus masters jacket. As they quickly kick up through the gears, he’s joined on vocals by the guy that was stood behind the bongos as they trade lines, while the drummer sets a furious pace. It’s a helluva spectacle. Come ‘Not A Crime’ the crowd have recovered from the shock of the initial onslaught and bounce into life. Eugene swings the acoustic he’s been toying with round his back and grabs an electric, as they belt out the dub fused punk with hefty doses of ska and Eastern European folk. It’s heady stuff. ‘Immigrant Punk’ hits hard. It’s tighter and more controlled, despite the bottle of red on stage. Songs like ‘Wanderlust King’ start slower, but it’s just a tease before the anticipating build. They’re a party band after all. It sounds like a 3am rave at a hedonistic resort that’s on the brink of going over the edge. There is weight to this lot though, with songs like ‘My Companjera’ dedicated to Ukraine. Fists raise, feet stomp, it’s pretty amazing. As if there wasn’t enough going on, two more backing singers join for ‘Fire On Ice Floe’. This is a poppy bugger, with a crowd friendly everyone join in  “Whoa” chorus and choreographed hand movements. We’re not even half an hour in and I’m knackered. It’s staggering. There’s a sense that the wheels could come off at any moment, but they don’t, they just keep pounding away. Bleeding songs together and cranking the energy levels higher and higher. There’s lots of standing on monitors, crowd surfing and Eugene shedding layers until he’s inevitably bare chested orchestrating the glorious chaos and demanding we “open up the pit” as Latin rhythms explode around him, whilst he slings the wine bottle around, spraying what looks like arcs of blood all over the stage. You’ve got to admire their work rate, it’s a phenomenal performance and my head is spinning. By the time we get to the theatrical bombast of ‘Start Wearing Purple’, the frenzy hits its peak and it goes off. The entire Academy is jumping and singing. It’s one of the best things I’ve seen all year. Barring the odd harpsichord or fiddle interlude, they barely let up. It’s quite disorientating to be honest. I’m used to a little more pacing, but Gogol Bordello just gaffer tape the accelerator to the floor and hold on. For nearly two hours we’re treated to batshit gypsy punk with stolen bass lines, joyous melodies and some of the most aggressively delivered lyrics you’ll hear anywhere. I wondered which way tonight would go, whether I’d get a little lost. Honestly I do a bit in places, but it’s still brilliantly celebratory and defiant… and certainly chaotic. I thought they might close with the newly released ‘Solidarity’. It’s rowsing stuff and feels fitting to drop the mic with, but Eugene doesn’t seem to want to go home. They just keep going. ‘Undestructible’ finally brings the set to a close though and me to my knees, particularly after a few false finishes, seriously how do they keep going at this pace. I’m destroyed as I walk back out into the cold night air, but I’ve been warmed to my core. Gogol Bordello, a band you really have to see live, there’s no one else like them.