The 9-piece multinational group reminds us that it's alright to be angry, but you should never stop having fun.
The first time I saw Gogol Bordello live, it was the start of a continuous and fiery love affair with their original and unapologetic serving of art-punk: July 2022 in Zagreb, Croatia, and their set was as furious as it was beautiful, as frenzied as it was reassuring. They stormed the stage to a backdrop of a clenched fist in yellow and blue, lead singer Eugene Hütz himself Ukrainian. Just five months after, on 24 February 2022, that war had just begun.
To the soundtrack of an infinite loop of creative, political, multi-intrumental music, I realised for the first time in a long time that I’d never heard or felt anything quite like it.
Fast forward three years into the present: the Russia-Ukraine war has trudged into its fourth year. Gogol Bordello still hasn’t stopped touring. Hütz and his band are as dynamic as ever. And they’ve returned to Luxembourg once again. No strangers to the city, they played at Den Atelier in 2011, 2014, 2017, 2022, and 2023. Come 2025 and the fans remain unsated, showing up in droves for more.
A full house awaits. / © Loretta Marie Perera
While original opener Bob Vylan has had a string of concerts and tours cancelled following the headlines made recently for their pro-Palestine stance and Glastonbury controversy, the London rap duo made an appearance of sorts as their hit Wicked and Bad was played ahead of the headliners. Stepping in as an opener was Mexican fusion group Son Rompe Pera – like Gogol Bordello, they blend punk and traditional, and made a fitting opening for the headliners.
With crowd favourites and hits like Start Wearing Purple and Wonderlust King delighting everyone packed into the hall, their latest and brand new single We Mean It, Man also featured. While less familiar for now (it was released five days ago), this band can do no wrong in the eyes of their most loyal fans, and their Luxembourg contingent is precisely that.
Paying tribute to Django Reinhardt, whom Hütz hails as the true father of Gypsy Punk and "better remembered here than in other parts of the world", the frontman also traces his own lineage to Romani roots. Elements of his Ukrainian roots and Romani heritage deeply influence all their work, along with the influences of band members who hail from the US, Russia, Brazil, China, Scotland, and Israel.
Plenty of banter and conversation warmed up the hall, with frontman Hütz showing none of the ego you might expect, and none you could fault him for. He constantly ups his bandmates, sharing their names, stories, and importance in the group. Though the team is massive with nine members in total, everyone had their time in the spotlight, from Sergey Ryabtsev on violin to Erica Mancini on accordion.
With all that’s going on in the world, Gogol Bordello reminds us that it's important to be informed and concerned – but that you should never forget to have fun while you’re at it. From playing concerts on the frontlines in Ukraine to singing songs about immigration and unionising, perhaps what we need is a bit more of this: a punk party to which all are invited. Lucky for us, it doesn’t look like they’re slowing down anytime soon.
© Loretta Marie Perera
