Tour de Force
Ian Ball, singer-guitarist for the unabashedly eclectic Gomez, reckons his band has toured America 10,000 times. Though it might seem like each tour across the vastness of the United States lasts a thousand years, England's Gomez only released their debut album in 1998.
Bring it On arrived on a wave of critical praise for its seamless blend of blues, indie rock and the kitchen sink, as comfortable with a classic pop tune as it was with technology and experimentation. That brief mission statement, along with the original five members-three of whom sing lead on various tracks-are the only things that still remain the same. Gomez' latest, greatest, How We Operate, sees the band in top form, still writing fantastic songs that often refuse to conform both to traditional song structure and popular trends. Though it's quieter than past efforts, it's still classic Gomez.
Remarkably, for a band signed to a record deal before they'd ever played live, Gomez has earned a reputation for being a stellar live act, with fans following them from city to city like Deadheads. Though revered by hipsters and music geeks, Gomez has also been lumped in with jam bands.
"Quite how we ended up in this position, I have no idea," laughs Ball, who sees his band play Bonnaroo and open for the Dave Matthews Band and moe in the coming weeks. "We don't jam. If we jam we sound terrible, like everybody, you know. But it's like, why not? Give these people some songs, for Christ's sake."
After wrapping up the West Coast leg of their North American tour in May, Gomez headed back to the U.K. for nine dates, before returning to the U.S. this week. After they finish over here in early July, they head back to Europe for a ration of summer festivals, after which point they once again play in America in August, at the Austin City Limits Festival in Texas. "Never, ever ask why when you look at the routing," says a puzzled Ball. "It's a foolish thing to ask, because there's no explanation for anything on the road. I think promoters and agents have never seen a map in their lives, so you just get up on the bus and don't worry about it."
Contrary to what you might think, Gomez aren't going to be wiped out by the time they hit Webster Hall. "I think for the foreseeable year, we have a gig pretty much every night, so we're a finely tuned rock machine, although a little bit dusty," explains Ball. "We've just been constantly on tour, so by the time we get to New York, we should be absolutely shit-hot!"