Edinburgh based Scots/Iranian band Gol take Middle Eastern and other world music rhythms and themes, and filter them through jazz and electronica influences to create their own sound. Last night's set was introduced as something of an experiment, both in terms of line up and material, so this may not have been a typical Gol gig, and the experience didn't accord with my expectations from watching videos of their previous work.
Fronted by Roxana Vilk on vocals, a three piece band on guitar, keyboard/electronics and drums/percussion, there was also some associated film footage playing during the opening numbers, and couple of short films, in which Gol had worked on the soundtrack. So not quite your conventional gig then.
The music is complex, imaginative, with a fascinating mix of rhythms. Vilk's voice is deep, hypnotic, although at times disturbingly flat on the lower notes. The overall effect is interesting, but too often slow and disjointed to the point of tedium. There were a couple of excellent guitar solos, and the varied percussion was always intriguing, but the keyboard player's experimentation could feel at odds with the rest of the band.
I can't comment of the songs written in what might have been Persian, but there were times when the English lyrics appeared to have been written by a teenage Adrian Mole in one his high minded phases. For a band with such clear pretensions to high art the quality of the language is shockingly poor and simplistic.
For me the highlight of the event was the seven minute film about the poet Ghazi Hussein, now an Edinburgh resident, once a victim of torture and imprisonment in Syria. His humanity and suffering, and the quality of his poetry, were beautifully conveyed.
Gol's performance may be something of a work in progress, but for now it has more about it to admire than to enjoy.
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