Gossip’s Beth Ditto ‘starts period’ during NME Calling gig

Ditto happy to reveal details to audience during London gig

Gossip headlined NME Calling last night (November 28) despite singer Beth Ditto enduring illness and an onstage period.

Arriving on stage half-an-hour later than billed, the band played an energetic set at London‘s HMV Forum that saw a night of cover versions, banter and Ditto coughing up her guts.

The frontwoman, dressed in a black sparkly dress, informed the audience that she’d “got the bronchitis” and paused several times throughout the night to address the issue. The illness had previously forced Gossip to cancel their Belgium and Birmingham shows due to medical advice.

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Despite her illness, the singer was on energetic and chatty form, engaging with the crowd after every song about topics such as her love for London and Calvin Klein boxer shorts (the irony, according to the singer, being that ‘Klein’ in German is ‘small’).

The most bizarre banter of the night however was Ditto telling the audience “I started my period about four minutes ago and I was like ‘Oh no!'” before putting them on “bleed watch” and saying “If you see period stains you let me know!”

Playing a set mainly consisting of songs from latest album ‘Music For Men’, the trio also threw in a few surprises such as briefly covering Usher‘s 2002 single ‘U Don’t Have To Call’ before ‘Four Letter Word’, and performing a full cover of Tina Turner‘s ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’ after the encore.

Before riotous finale ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’, Ditto began to sing the theme from US TV show ‘Saved By The Bell’ before launching into the hit 2006 single from the album of the same name.

While performing, Ditto referenced Amy Winehouse‘s ‘Rehab’ by singing “They tried to make me go to rehab” to the crowd, who replied with a mixture of “Woahs” and “No, no, nos“.

After what should have been the final song of the set, Ditto remained on stage for an extra 15 minutes as she sung Queen‘s ‘We Are The Champions’ with drummer Hannah Billie, sung along to Fleetwood Mac‘s ‘The Chain’ (now playing over the PA) and dived into the crowd.

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Before finally departing the stage, Ditto gave an inspirational speech telling the audience to “demand respect”. She preceded this by saying “My only regret is my whole life, I am Beth ‘The Gossip’ Ditto“.

Gossip played:

‘Dimestore Diamond’
‘Pop Goes The World’
‘2012’
‘Yr Mangled Heart’
‘Men In Love’
‘Coal To Diamonds’
‘Love Long Distance’
‘Vertical Rhythm’
‘Listen Up!’
‘U Don’t Have To Call’/’Four Letter Word’
‘Heavy Cross’
‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’
‘Standing In The Way Of Control’
‘We Are The Champions’

NME Calling concludes tonight (November 29), when MPHO headlines a free gig at the Old Queens Head.

See NME.COM/calling for details.

Meanwhile, NME has teamed up with charity Youth Music for another show this weekend.

Tonight (November 29) we’ll be staging a free new talent showcase at the Proud Gallery.

See Musicispower.youthmusic.org.uk for the full line-up.

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