Live: Gutter Twins @ Metro

ARTICLE BY MYCHELLE PETERSON
PHOTOS BY LAURA MUSSELMAN

MARCH 7 | CHICAGO—The cult appeal of the Gutter Twins is readily apparent. You’ve got two indie rock figures, both of whom are known for their erratic and seemingly difficult behavior, yet both are legendary in their prolific and passionate performances. It would be easy to dismiss the hype and assume the Gutter Twins is a vanity project and nothing more, except for the fact that we’re talking about Greg Dulli, Mark Lanegan and some seriously amazing music to back them up.

The Gutter Twins has just released their long awaited debut album, Saturnalia, to critical praise and near fan worship. The music is exactly what you’d expect if you know anything about Dulli’s or Lanegan’s previous work—from the Twilight Singers to Soulsavers to Screaming Trees and Afghan Whigs. The music is dark, soulful and brimming with a deviant sensuality that might be best found in some basement S&M dungeon. The lyrics take you to the edge of destruction and save you before there is no chance for redemption.

With all that build up, seeing the Gutter Twins live could have been either an utter letdown or confirmation that Dulli and Lanegan are some of the finest musicians of our time. After spending almost two hours standing in the bitter cold, with snow starting to fall, hundreds of fans likely began questioning if it was all worth it. We huddled together and counted down the minutes to get inside, where, if nothing else, the band would warm our ice-cold hearts.

Once inside, the energy buzzing in the crowd was palpable, and the scowls that had marked faces outside had been replaced with giddy smiles and laughter. When the opening notes of “The Stations” reverberated throughout the Metro, and Dulli and Lanegan walked on stage dressed in trademark black, any doubters were instantly converted. I felt as though I was in a newly anointed church of rock ‘n’ roll with Reverend Dulli on guitar and the sinister Minister Lanegan on vocals.

What is remarkable is the stark contrast in these two’s performances. Their comfort level with each other is apparent, and each lets the other one explore his own performance style without hindering the overall show. Dulli is the group’s showman and ringleader. He struts, he belts out the lyrics, he makes grand facial expressions that almost mock the rock star cliché, and he taunts the crowd with repeated “Come on motherfuckers!” throughout the night. His sermon-like delivery of “Front Street” later in the set solidified his role as a storyteller preaching the gospel to his congregation.

But Lanegan is another story. An intimidating, hulking figure dressed in black with a perpetual sour look on his weathered face, Lanegan doesn’t move the entire night, save for his foot on the mic stand to occasionally adjust it, and his tattooed hands alternating in a death grip at the top and bottom of the stand. He never looks up, never says a word (except “Mr. Greg Dulli” when the band is introduced), and if you didn’t know anything about him, you might think he was the angriest man on the planet. But fans of the man know this is who he is; he’s not posturing or hiding behind an act. It’s as if the emotion and intensity that is conveyed in his deep throaty baritone strips him of any other way of communicating. It’s also pretty interesting to watch if you’ve got the patience.

The Gutter Twins played a healthy dose off of Saturnalia and treated long-time fans to some of their extensive back catalogs, including a blistering version of Lanegan’s “Methamphetamine Blues” and Twilight Singers’ “Number Nine,” which closed out the almost two-hour set. The crowd hung on every word, singing along with the new and old, just excited to be a part of the action.

And let’s not forget about the rest of the band. Anyone who doesn’t acknowledge the outstanding contributions of Jeff Kline, drummer Cully Symington and veteran bassist Scott Ford is missing out on a main component of why we can singularly focus on Dulli and Lanegan. These guys provided an exceptional backbone that never overpowered the vocals but added to the overall intensity.

The Gutter Twins wrap up their U.S. tour in Los Angeles on April 2 at the Avalon. If you like your music dark and full of passion, this is a show you cannot afford to miss. Tickets are on sale now.

Comments

[maribel]

Great article Mychelle!