Fightmilk, Gold Baby, Gutts – The Victoria, Dalston

Really looking forward to my first Fightmilk gig, after playing their current album Contender so many times this year I can now play the whole thing in my head without missing a beat. A new venue for me too, the Victoria in Dalston – surprisingly, only 36 minutes away from deepest Essex along a suspiciously quiet A12.

Always glad when I get to gigs early and the support bands are brilliant. I’ve seen Gold Baby before so I knew they were going to be great, but Gutts was a real pleasant surprise. Probably not the textbook definition of pleasant surprise, but a really great set full of energy and anger.

Gutts

Gold Baby

I don’t understand why Fightmilk aren’t on more festival line-ups, more playlists, more radio stations. Contender is easily the best album of the year for me (so far) – really well produced and no filler at all, not even the three filler songs. I’m glad to say that my first live Fightmilk experience didn’t diminish my views on the band.

I particularly like the two covers – especially The Boys Are Back In Town, which was cut after about 1 minute 15 seconds which is about the right amount of time to play that song in any circumstances. And especially Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, probably, on definitely, The Killers’ finest moment for me.

The ticket and info sent out before the gig asked everyone to wear facemasks. I haven’t really worn mine much since restrictions were ended in England in July, but it doesn’t bother me at all so I was masked up for the whole gig. I noticed that at the start about 80% of the audience were in masks. I also noticed at the end that I was virtually the only person still in a mask.

Fightmilk setlist:

• Lucky Coin
• Hey Annabelle!
• The Absolute State Of Me
• If You Had A Sister …
• Banger #4
• Four Star Hotel
• Girls Don’t Want To Have Fun
• You Are Not The Universe
• I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space
• Maybe
• Overbite

  Encore:

• The Boys Are Back In Town (first verse/chorus)
• Cool Cool Girl
• Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine

Gold Baby setlist:

• Betty
• Captain Dorego
• 500/1
• Philadelphia
• Bodie
• 2041
• Japanese Racehorse

Wednesday 13 October 2021, 222 views

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