New York imports Bodega and GIFT surprise a sold out crowd in Leeds on a rainy Wednesday night

★★★★★ (5/5)

BODEGA PERFORMING AT LEEDS BUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB
PHOTOCREDIT: JOHN HAYHURST

Damp Wednesdays in Leeds, usually best avoided unless there is something amazing to see at The Brudenell Social Club, I came here the last time Bodega played and loved every minute of the experience. They did a short tour earlier this year as well, but they decide to spoil us with a huge UK and European Tour, they just love it here!

For those poor uninitiated souls Bodega are a New York art rock experience, plenty to pogo to, those punky disjointed rhythms get your feet moving and then there are the witty insightful lyrics tackling computer algorithms, AI technology, brand capitalism, and consumerism. I’d hate to tell them but my introduction to Bodega actually came via an AI random playlist generated by Spotify as ‘Jack in Titanic’ appeared one Monday morning in 2018, so there are some valid reasons to use it. This tour is in support of their latest release ‘Our Brand Could Be Yr Life’ which is actually a rebrand and rerecorded version of 15 of the songs that their previous incarnation ‘Bodego Bay’ used to play.

Before we get into Bodega’s 24 song set list, we have the delight of their support, also from New York – GIFT walk on to the usual stark Yorkshire welcome of “Go on then, entertain us”. That washed away very quickly as they blended neo-psychedelic sound and dreamy, expansive jams with hushed vocals from lead singer TJ Freda.

Sounding at times like a cross between The Cure, New Order and The Charlatans there was a looseness and improvisational quality to their performance that made the show feel organic and alive, as if the band was discovering new dimensions of their music alongside the audience.

Guitar solos and synths were stretched into free-form explorations, and the rhythm section held down the groove, providing just enough structure to keep the sound from drifting off entirely into the ether.

Promoting their new album ‘Illuminator’ on this support tour with Bodega, GIFT were genuinely a great surprise, and I nicked the handwritten setlist from keys/guitar/vocalist Jessica Gurewitz to see what they had played. My favourite from their set was called ‘Dead’ which I can’t find anywhere (even on the latest album) on Spotify so I’m assuming it was still a work in progress. They are definitely high on my “must see again” list and I hope they come over for their own tour next year.

It wasn’t long before the stage turned green and a back projection of a blue bank note appears, signed by Ben Hozie and Nikki Belfiglio. Ben and Nikki are our two main figures of Bodega, joint lyricists, singers, creators of Bodega. Nikki is stage centre, a rebel vision in her John Lennon glasses and beret. She is the focus all night, Ben wearing a furry hat, prefers the shade and only occasionally will step out into the light at the front. His dry wit and sarcasm though are much more Brit than he realises, “We heard Leeds doesn’t fuck about” he bizarrely joked and at one point they abandon the set list to play a brand new song called ‘Gestation Crate’ which was an attack on the conditions experienced by animals in the meat industry, set to some seriously hardcore punk.

Never afraid to abandon all rules, the 24 songs could have been played in any order or not at all. A highlight for me was ‘Statuette On the Console’, a song that in my head The Ramones are singing, it is in their 1-2-3-4 style and yet not at all. Bodega are Art in Rock form and so expect the unexpected, but embrace the difference they offer compared to the norm that you are currently fed from the music industry system.

Bodega thrives on breaking the fourth wall, often incorporating spoken-word elements and direct audience engagement into their shows. This gig was no exception, with the band addressing the crowd between songs, bringing a sense of communal catharsis to the night. What they thought of the usual “Yorkshire Yorkshire” chant or the state of Everton’s back four, I don’t know, but it made Nikki later read an extract from ‘Notes from the Underground’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky, that she just happened to have next to her keyboard. After that we were engaged in a Brudenell class discussion about what it represented in the modern age with Elon Musk getting more than a mention. It is always more than just a concert—it was a dialogue about the absurdities and pressures of living in the 21st century.

After a stirring and audience participative version of ‘Jack In Titanic’, then a burst of ‘Everybody’s Sad’ from their ‘Extra Equipment’ EP they open up the floor for encore requests. We get ‘Doers’, ‘Shiny New Model’ and ‘Truth Is Not Punishment’ but it could have been anything, such is their tenacity for change and not sticking to any damn imaginary rules.

In the end, Bodega’s performance was another triumph—a mix of art-punk ferocity, clever commentary, and undeniable groove. Their set at the Brudenell Social Club was a testament to their ability to both provoke thought and incite movement, making it one of those gigs that left an indelible mark on those lucky enough to be there. Rain? What rain? We walked out into the night having had another amazing experience, if there was ever a band that embodied the spirit of post-punk for the digital age, Bodega is it.