Gomez: The Early Years

Ridiculous. Suppose you had the opportunity to see the next Pink Floyd, perhaps in a small venue, maybe even interview them. Well, that was the experience you may have missed if you weren't at the Middle East Tuesday night to see Gomez.

"Who is Gomez?" you're probably asking. Good question. With many answers. They are the latest British import, replete with echoes of music from blues and swamp to rock and alternative. They are the winners of Britain's prestigious Mercury Music Prize for "Album of the Year" for their debut, Bring It On. They are a group of young musicians desperately attempting to avoid real world jobs (take note, seniors). And, ultimately, they are five chill guys--Ian Ball, Paul Blackburn, Tom Gray, Ben Ottewell and Olly Peacock--trying to play the music they want to hear.

Gomez won't be playing the small-venue circuit much longer. Barring injury or break up (risks to all new bands), this group is headed for greater things. Limited exposure in America has been an issue, but the music of Floyd, the Dead and other such bands enjoyed the same sort of beginning--word of mouth, not heavy ad campaigns--just the way they like it.

What's the secret to Gomez's success? Ottewell, vocal and slide guitar guru, attributes it to their insularity, We didn't really give a shit about Brit pop or whatever, any trends that were going on. It was just music we wanted to hear, really." But, lest we assume each member of the quintet approaches their music with the same idea, Ben reminds us that they each bring unique musical tastes to the table. Each plays what he individually hears in the music, be it a riff, slide, melody or funky bass line. This synergy of sound leaves Gomez indefinable, in a genre of their own.

Fans of what one may call "progression" music--that is, albums whose songs seem to flow together like one long story--will enjoy Bring it On. Like the Dead or Floyd, the album flows seamlessly, and like a Marley or Hendrix, the music brings the listener into their frame of mind. Perhaps this is the most striking ability of Gomez--its music can't help but take the listener along with it. Just don't expect to hear them on the radio--radio doesn't cater to their type of music--you won't want to put Gomez on a mix tape, you'll want to let the whole thing play.

Gomez has already completed a second album, though the release date is undetermined. The band has found a groove, according to their manager. In talking to Blackburn, the group's main bassist, one can see why. Asked where the band sees itself in two years, he replied that the band tends to "not really look that far"-- this allows Gomez to stay fixed in the moment, allowing for their own energy and spontaneity to come through and for them to continue enjoying every minute of the experience.

And these critical elements are by no means confined to their recorded music but are readily apparent in performance as well. Driven by a love of their music and the adrenaline of performance, Gomez turned the overflowing Middle East crowd into a Gomez audience. Whether it was the dynamism of the carefree and occasionally ironic tune "Get Myself Arrested" or the dulcet gruffness of Ottewell's voice on "Free To Run," the audience rejoiced in the reinvention of their favorite Gomez melodies. For Gomez, nothing is immutable; every song is subject to new forms of expression and interpretation.

In addition to the Bring It On tracks presented last night, Gomez introduced many of their new songs. Their style appears similar to that of the first album--completely impossible to describe. The one difference may be that someone is finally listening. When Gomez played T.T. the Bear's last November, only 50 fortunate fans attended their Boston premiere. According to Ottewell, in the interim, the band has come into its own, "We've come back and there's people come to see us in our own right." Chances are, next time Gomez plays Boston, the closest we'll got to the stage is a couple hundred yards.

At the end of the show, the audience was reluctant to let the band go. Their exit was accompanied by wild applause and screaming until they were wooed back onto stage. Both encore pieces were from Bring It On, concluding with the whimsical "Whippin' Piccadilly," a tribute to drug day ambling around their native U.K.

After the show, Ottewell answered our one lingering question: "Where does the name Gomez come from?" At University, Ottewell, Ball and Peacock knew a guy named Gomez who took extraordinary amounts of acid. One time, he took a bit too much and was expelled following drug-induced behavior. The guys found the story amusing and, explains Ottewell, "He had a name, we didn't."