So, while hubby Neil Murdoch was at the Villa (naughty, naughty, hahaha) Meme Detroit was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the pub and live music venue, The Actress and Bishop here in beautiful Brum. A reunion with Leila Antony meant a chance to re-live the glorious Gundogs, sassy, classy and brassy, inspirational alley cats, attitudes from the streets and from the rough and tumble of a fickle industry that helped meld their sound. Fans that remembered them turned out to support this memorable occasion, a decent enough crowd for a Saturday lunchtime.
Off we go with ‘Been Around’ feisty and fierce, and those boom-boom voices, like a blaring siren, only more finely tuned, demanding your attention.
The punky anthem ‘Away’ tore through the room like a ball of fire, incredibly angsty and full of the banshee like eldritch screeching, piercing and piquing our blood vessels. Seeing these two best friends onstage, sharing their wins and their woes through their art, two hugely powerful voices, that change in perfect time to softer, dulcet tones, the harmonies were dreamy yet full of drama, it was a show where we all looked forward to looking back.
The co-ordination is seamless; from the frantic pace to the slower, delicate tones, their singing voices are bold and fearless, at the end of each song we get a delicate, feather-like ‘thank you’ which is so cute and warms the cockles of our collective nostalgic hearts.
A few choice cuts taken from the ‘Little Deaths’ album saw this short but sweet set light up the venue, highlight for me was ‘Waiting For The Rain’ sublime, divine, a veritable treasure trove in time. A snapshot of their impact, their initiative and their importance, for someone who said they’ve not rehearsed, well my take is, when the talent and knowledge is innate, and flows naturally, being rehearsed is a marker to confirm that you are on the right track, Meme and Leila are ‘the body and the blood’ of these songs, full of loyalty, trust and integrity.
Thank you, Gundogs, for an amazing ‘potty-mouthed’ Saturday and cheers to The Actress and Bishop, now where’s my chiffon blouse?
Azra Pathan
Gundogs – The Actress and Bishop. 30th September 2023