Anarchic gypsy punk from nine-piece Gogol Bordello at Black Box

Gogol Bordello will bring their winning, anarchic brand of gypsy punk to the Black Box next Wednesday, December 20. The nine-piece group are led by the New York based Ukrainian Eugene Hutz.  A front-man of frenetic energy, he recently spoke to The Tribune while on tour in Germany.

“I started playing drums when I was 11, by about 14 or 15 I realised I was done looking at the three guys in front of me,” he says of his decision to become a front-man. “It coincided with me writing lyrics to my own songs. If you really look into music history, you’ll see these tendencies. James Brown, Iggy Pop and Madonna as well – they’re all people who started playing drums and switched to singing.”

Gogol Bordello’s line-up includes members from Scotland, Belarus and Ecuador.  A band with such an international flavour might have an opinion or two about the current US president, but the mention of Trump gets short shrift from Eugene.

“I’ve never found political conversations inspiring,” he says. “That’s why I always wrote about the more mythological, socio-cultural angle, the philosophical side of things. I’m pretty bored when everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off, I’ve seen it so many times.”

It comes down to the music for Eugene, it seems – and on that front, Gogol Bordello deliver. Firm festival favourites across Europe and the States, the band know how to put on a show. Doors 7.30, tickets €33.