The G-O-D are a new three piece band from Manchester made up of guitarist Chris Bridgett (Dub Sex, Rude Club),
drummer Si Wolstencroft (The Fall, Ian Brown) and bassist Karl Hildebrandt.
The gig at Gullivers was only their second gig since forming a few months ago following a shared desire to get back to the raw power of the punk legacy combined with some Manchester magic.
The gig was a sellout and they were the main support for Heavy on the Magic.
In an era of bands involving numerous members and all sorts of gadgetry and gizmos on stage I couldn’t wait to hear what a three piece band would deliver.
The G-O-D did not disappoint. Their opener ’20 Years Ago’ was a clear statement of intent.
Bridgett’s beautifully fragile vocals overlaying the triple combo of instruments and belying the fact that there were only three of them on stage.
The tempo picked up pace with the defiant ‘Impulsive’ and through the rest of the set until they briefly slowed things down with ‘Barrel of a Gun’, a song imploring you to ignore regrets and seize life.
They ended their eight song set with the newer tracks ‘Going Over The Top’ and ‘There Goes My Baby’
The musical message was clear. Keep it beautifully noisy, resonant of the punk era yet enhanced by a level of musicianship which delivered on all fronts.
Bridgett’s guitar spiralled and tumbled, leaving gaps in all the right places. Si’s drumming was beyond rhythm section and is central to the sound. Hildebrandt’s bass was gorgeously dirty. A three piece huh? Put the right three piece together and you don’t need anything else.
Review by Karen Clarke
Pictures by Debbie Ellis
Luminous Dash