PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Gotteri are a 5 piece hard rock band from South Yorkshire, mainly playing in the Sheffield area. Taking the name of the founder and bassist, David Gotteri, the band formed some four years ago. Recently they have been playing support slots at Sheffield corporation venue including recent appearances with Monument & The Union. Today was something quite different to their previous shows, as they were the only band on at the Mulberry Tavern in Sheffield, and they had at least an hour to fill.
The Mulberry Tavern is a venue I will admit I didn’t even know about until Gotteri announced they would be playing there. As is always the case with a new venue, particularly one that re-opened just a few months ago, I enter with cross between curiosity and mild trepidation. Descending down the stairs I’m faced with leather sofas, disco balls, and red & green laser lights. Initially thinking I had got the wrong place, it was only after seeing the stage setup at one end of the room, the ‘DoomBar’ sign next to the bar, and a healthy dose of leather jackets that I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. Contrary to the initial impression, I think the décor actually worked really well in lifting the atmosphere and making the venue feel friendlier.
Almost bang on time Gotteri take to the stage, which due to the venue size has also extended out on the dancefloor. As is often the case in smaller venues, much of the crowd stay at the back near the bar while, but this does nothing to deter the band as they open up with one of their classics ‘Seven Year Itch’ – as song that is about exactly that. As if they knew the assembled rockers might need some persuading, Gotteri followed this up with a Queen classic ‘Tie your mother down’ which certainly did the trick. Throughout the track people came down the front singing along with Steve Baranovich (Lead Vocals) as he strutted around the stage with a level of confidence and swagger only good frontmen have.
The atmosphere is a fun one tonight as the band power through a couple of their staple numbers, Adam ‘Doc’ Hudson giving the tracks a blues edge to them as he meanders over the hooks with ease while Russ takes responsibility for the harder edge to the bands sound with good solid riffs – but don’t let that fool you as there is no clear lead and rhythm guitar here. Both guitarists swap roles as the songs dictate, although Adam is clear much more at home taking centre stage while Russ strays from his mic less but keeps the riffs flowing hard. All of this is backed up by a good pounding bassline provided by David and Steve Birch on drums.
Steve Baranovich is not one to do all the work with the songs, particularly if he know some of the fans in the house will join in, during the chorus of ‘Long Time Coming’ the mic is firmly out into the audience to encourage as many people as he can to join in – and we do!
The rest of the set maintains a good mix of original material from Gotteri with a few well known tracks thrown in as covers. Bass man and band namesake David is not one to take to the mic often, but for Black Eyed Suzy he steps up (while still staying near the back) and sang the chorus. Gotteri do not take their influences from one genre, instead mixing in the sounds of 70’s and 80’s hard rock with healthy dash of other flavours when a song calls for it.
Steve ventured out into the audience on a few occasions throughout the set, often picking someone who is enjoying the show and signing a few lines to them, or just getting up on one if the tables and singing back to his band on stage. Either way it added a nice touch and, I’m told, also helped him cool off (it was getting pretty sticky by now!).
So it seems like no time had passed and Gotteri’s set was over, but with encouragement from the venue the band did one more song. A proper ballad called This Time. Steve retrieved a barstool and perched upon this for the first part of the song, with just David on bass playing alongside. This wound a fun night of good old unassuming rock n roll down beautifully.
If you are in Sheffield you should catch a Gotteri show, if you are near Sheffield it really is worth making the time. Because you will get the treat that is a local band, pushing out music they love, and making sure everyone (themselves included) have a bloody good time doing it.
Setlist:
Seven Year Itch
Tie your mother down (cv Queen)
Don’t you call this love
Long Time Coming
Daddy brother lover little boy (cv Mr Big)
Do Without
Black Eyed Suzy
Forever young (cv Tyketto)
Remember my name
Suckerpunch
Wasted (cv Def Leppard)
Devil eyes
Wishing Well (cv Free)
From the outside
This Time
https://www.facebook.com/gotteriband
