Not as exciting as it should have been.
With one of the songs of the year, there was no doubt that The Gossip were going to be witnessed by a healthy crowd all keen for a large singalong. By this time of the day the weather was no longer an issue and the main stages could be visited with no fear of the rain re-appearing so all was set for The Gossip to become one of the acts of the weekend.
The Gossip now belong to the mainstream and most of this is due to the attitude and antics of lead vocalist Beth Ditto. Ditto and her followers may believe she is a pioneer for free speech and minority groups but to be honest, a large part of the crowd was laughing at her, as opposed to with her, which is a shame as it detracts from their music. For the second time this year in Scotland, Ditto made a large public show of removing her tights on stage which was crass and unpleasant. Following this by dropping into the pit and giving the crowd a view of her ample knickers and buttocks, and then providing a leg stretch which showed off even more, on one hand, its good that Ditto has the confidence to show off these moves but on the other, theres a definite lack of class on display here. However, its these stage activities that have helped to propel the band into an act that is on everyones lips and you cn bet that the band were the chat of the campsite and the following days media.
Which is ultimately a shame as it overlooks the music on show and it goes without saying that 'Standing In The Way of Control' was one of the songs of the weekend. Even with the amount of (over)exposure the track has received, it still retains an energy and even a freshness that got the crowd excited. Like most of the acts who were playing outdoors at T, problems with the sound threatened to derail any great enthusiasm but this track easily rose above these problems. And its not as if its that is the only song that the band have up their sleeve, with new single 'Listen Up' being another slice of electro pop but there are genuine concerns that in a few years time the band will be remembered for one song and the characteristics of Ditto as opposed to their entire back catalogue.
Its a shame but the Gossip are operating in a wider market these days where the 3am girls and their like prowl, it will help them shift some units but you cant help feel they'll be discarded by the masses as soon as a new plaything appears.