Live Report: Gogol Bordello bring wildly energetic set to The Academy

The excitement in The Academy is so intense. Though I’m new to Gogol Bordello, it’s becoming increasingly clear from the audience’s enthusiasm that until now I’ve been missing out on something.

Their eagerness is not to be understated. Every time the door to the left of the stage opens the audience cheers, only to voice their disappointment when a sheepish sound tech shuffles onstage.

When the band eventually appear, the fans waste no time in voicing their excitement as they erupt into a cheer. Bursting onstage Frontman Eugene Hütz shouts into the crowd, and they launch into the music.

Gogol Bordello at the Academy. Copyright Maya Solanki.

Gogol Bordello can be described is unusual- in an endearing way. Hailing from Manhattan, the music is heavily influenced by Romani and Eastern European traditional music- a region they each have connections to. Accordions, violins, bongos and electric guitars come together to create a one-of-a-kind sound.

This would all be enough to capture the attention of any spectator, but Gogol Bordello bring their live performances to another level with their seemingly endless energy.

With or without his guitar (that has very clearly  been put through its paces) Hütz bounces around the stage, displaying his dexterity. He displays his agility in bounding around the crowded stage, somehow not colliding with a guitar neck or accordion.

He controls the crowd like a conductor, pointing and shouting “Scream it!” at the gleefully obedient crowd, who just about manage to keep up with the music’s constantly changing, rapid tempo.

Gogol Bordello at the Academy. Copyright Maya Solanki.

Violinist Sergey Ryabtsev displays his incredible talent, as the violin wails louder that the electric guitars surrounding it. It harmonises with Erice Mancini’s accordion to create an otherworldly sound, that compliments the bands looks.

The crowd mirrors the jubilant chaos onstage- over the course of the show 4 people ranging from young to old crowd surf, triumphantly laughing as they are pulled away by security.

80 minutes of rapid fire tunes pass in the blink of an eye.

Without warning, the music quiets down as Ryabtsev clambers off the stage and sits himself on the barrier. As the lights go down, a silence falls over The Academy, in what has suddenly become an incredibly intimate gig.

Gogol Bordello at the Academy. Copyright Maya Solanki.

The virtuoso's violin is all that can be heard, as the audience is caught off guard by the emotion in his playing. When his piece is completed, he makes a humble bow as his bandmates and audience applaud in awe.

Unsurprisingly, this moment of calm is immediately followed by a more riff-heavy, energetic tune to close out the gig, which sees the band spraying champagne on to a delighted audience.

All in all, Gogol Bordello are experts of the spectacle. Blending musical talent, choreography, and audience inclusion, they deliver a fantastically bizarre show- leaving a champagne soaked crowd reeling.