Review: Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball at Rosemount Hotel

Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball at Rosemount Hotel
w/ Buddy
Saturday, September 16, 2023

UK indie rock legends Gomez have long had a love affair with Australia. They have toured here consistently since the late 90s, when they burst on the scene with their unique sound that was unlike any of the Britpop at the time, taking on a more laidback, folky, bluesy, vibe – sometimes with a psych-rock or experimental electronic edge.

A tight group of friends, the band is comprised of the same five members since the beginning, including three singers and four songwriters. The two defining vocalists in the group, Ben Ottewell with his powerful, deep, gruff voice, and Ian Ball, with his more indie pitched voice, have both released solo albums over the years, but this tour saw them performing as a duo, with assistance from their buddy, Buddy.

They did a similar tour last year and enjoyed themselves so much they came back for more! This time with a little surprise in store, as well as plenty of cuts from the deep Gomez catalogue and a very eclectic selection of covers.

In support for the tour, as he has been several times with Gomez and Ben, was the band’s American friend and like-minded soul, Buddy. “My name’s Buddy and I’m from Portland, Oregon,” he said, introducing himself. “It’s a confusing name in Australia I know… I constantly think people are talking to me…but they're not.”

Buddy is a real troubadour and plays a great, earnest style of song. His hard-strummed acoustic was overset with his impassioned vocals. He was joined by Ian on the keyboards for a few tracks, such as the more gently strummed and beautiful ballad Say A Lot, the opening track from his 2007 album Alterations and Repairs.

For his last track, he wandered down into the crowd to perform fully acoustic, busker style, surrounded by a circle of attentive fans he’d won over with his sincere songs. It was a really engaging and endearing performance.

After Buddy bid us farewell, there was a bit of a break before Ben Ottewell and Ian Ball took the stage to much applause – launching straight into one of the big tracks from their extensive cannon, Revolutionary Kind from their 1999 sophomore album Liquid Skin. It sounded great and fresh, more low-key and psychedelic as just a duo, with Ian on bass and Ben on guitar and both of them on vocals.

The two of them have always looked and sounded so different onstage. Looking a bit like Seth Rogan these days, big Ben’s booming voice contrasts and complements Ian’s more soft dulcet tones. The boys were in great form, seeming upbeat with some great banter and stories. First album cut, Here Comes The Breeze, takes them way back to when they used to hang out at Ian’s crap old flat in Sheffield, said Ben.

They requested audience participation for the next song, which they said was a song from the 70s. “I'm sure you'll know it and know what to do,” they said, before launching into the 1976 soft rock classic, I'm Not In Love by 10cc. It was an amazing and unexpected cover, with a brilliant little lead guitar bit from Ben.

Then they brought Buddy back out and announced their new surprise project they’ve been working on, featuring the three of them, which (for some reason) they’ve called Handbags. They’ve recorded an entire album and said they’d only just got their hands on the finished product, with some fresh vinyl on sale at the back. All the tracks they played together from the record were great, with Limited Vibes one of the highlights. There were some electric moments where they launched into three-way harmonies over rolling guitar rhythms that invoked an Americana vibe. With just the three of them, they utilised a drum backing track on some songs to give it more oomph.

Ben joked about the lameness of some of their early lyrics, such as in Get Miles: “Sitting here in all this grass, man I don't get no weed.” They did pull out an early one though, one with some more sophisticated lyrics, their “power ballad” (as they introduced it), We Haven’t Turned Around.

The title track of their third album from 2002, In Our Gun, got an airing and they peaked with an amazing jam where the two of them just locked in and rocked out on their guitars together for a minute or so. Moments like that remind you what great musicians the guys are – truly seasoned veterans.

Always a fan favourite, Get Myself Arrested was welcomed with open arms and strong voice. And they brought Buddy back for another great new song that they really seemed to enjoy playing – like just three mates jamming and having fun with guitars – before all three of them launched into a surprising, left field cover of English new wave band Wang Chung’s Dance Hall Days from 1983!

An epic version of Get Miles was bashed out with Ben going on another scorching lead excursion, while Ian kept the plodding rhythm rolling on his bass. They ended on a high with another classic, Whippin’ Piccadilly – the first two tracks from their ’98 debut Bring It On.

After a short break, they came back for a short encore, kicking back in with How We Operate – a latter career highlight and the title track from their 2006 album, which is up there with the best of them. They then finished the night with another unexpectedly brilliant cover – by a band no one expected Gomez to cover – Them Bones by Alice in Chains!

It was a highly entertaining and varied night of song from three good friends and underrated legends, who pulled out an exciting selection from their 25-year-spanning career, as well as new material, and some surprising covers that displayed their diverse tastes and talents.

ALFRED GORMAN