Live Review: YTO at The Sage Gateshead

WHO WILL BUY MY BAGELS?

By Bethany Robson

If you like a band with style, excitement, dashing hats, a guitarist that can’t stop dancing and a trombone that sounds like Louis Armstrong, then this is the band for you. The Yiddish Twist Orchestra who performed at The Sage last Sunday night had the audience stood on their feet, shaking their hips and buying their bagels (yes, bagels, but more on that later).
As the lights dimmed, the back doors to the stage opened and out came the band and immediately, I knew I was in for a treat. With his floppy, flouncing fringe, the lead guitarist began to play, easing us all into the mindset of the Yiddish Twist Orchestra, and with the audience hanging on the edge of their seats in anticipation, just waiting to hear that quick musical countdown of “1,2,3,4!”, the band gave us just that. With a strong, brassy sound beautifully pushing its way forward and uncontrollable dancing from the lead guitarist, the band created a vibrant and outrageously funky form of escapism that sucked the whole audience right into it.
After one or two instrumental songs, again opened the back doors of the stage and out came the lead singer, Natty Bo with an outfit that can only be described as quirky and original, supported by a rather dashing leopard print hat and spats, (now there’s a combination!). Admiring the way he simply walked on stage as if to say “oh sorry I’m late, I was struggling to choose a suitable hat”, I immediately became enthralled upon hearing his musky voice, enhanced by his staggering vibrato whilst singing their first vocal song, “Bei Mir Bistu Shayn”.

The highlight of the night for the audience was undoubtedly the highly humorous number “Bagels” which was basically, (if you hadn’t already guessed), a song about bagels, helped out with actual bagels being thrown out into the audience from Bo himself. But for me, the highlight of the night was hearing an outstanding trombone solo. The piece began with a slow and quite mysterious sound, not yet heard by the band, but that was all about to change as the trombonist took centre stage. My jaw dropped with amazement as the trombone sang away as if it were Louis Armstrong singing live (honestly, it’s true! It sounded exactly like Louis Armstrong!) For me, this was the “twist” that really got me hooked on the East London based band.

Overall, I left the Sage in a very uplifted and bouncy mood, humming the catchy tunes as I walked to the bus stop. For me, there were maybe too many saxophone solos and not enough from the trumpet and maybe standing too close to the microphone during the solos is what made my ears ring at the end of the night, but overall, the band were a great success and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves listening to those almost raunchy sounds from a brass section or to anyone who just fancies checking out a new band.