Gypsies Of Bohemia “Gyp Pop”

Gypsies of Bohemia were another band that we stumbled across at SGP and were amazed by. Gyp Pop may be a new genre of music to us but we certainly loved their bohemian inspired covers of pop classics. It was helped by an enthusiastic crowd who were appreciative of the chance and excuse to dance in the rain. It of course, raises the question if that energy can actually be captured on CD.. no easy feat.

The album opens up with Blondie’s classic “Heart Of Glass” which is a relatively laid back intro and adds an almost ‘muzak’ feel to this pop favourite. There are no vocals on the track but the strength and familiarity of the original will mean that you are singing along anyhow.

Half of the songs on this album are instrumental versions. These tracks, if were being totally honest, don’t work quite as well on CD as they do in a live environment. This is mainly because you miss the euphoric moment when the crowd realises what the song is and the excitement building as they all eventually join in with the chorus. However, the band are clever enough to pick songs like Britney’s “Toxic” which you just can’t stop yourself singing to. We also take great delight in the fact that we hope Thom Yorke will be fuming over a gypsy pop cover of “Just”.

Hopefully, the same reaction would also be achieved from Morrissey, were he to hear their version of “Charming Man”, which is, ironically, charming in a laid back manner. There is also a great version of “Seven Nations Army” which actually adds some flavour to what was originally a very raw song.

One of the real highlights, is the corking version of “Hot In Here”. It’s delivered in a style which is a million miles away from the ghetto R’N’B of the original. It’s brilliant and impossible to listen to without a big smile on your face. The album also ends on an undoubted high with a flamenco (ish) version of the Prodigy’s “Out Of Space”. It helps, of course, that it’s a fantastic song in the first place. Again, however, that gypsy twist adds a totally different vibe but still retaining the sense of raucous fun.

That really is the key with this album, and hopefully the band themselves, it’s all just good fun. They’ve got great taste in their choice of songs and, importantly, you get the sense that they are being played with a sense of respect rather than just mocking. One things for sure, if you ever get the chance to see Gypsies of Bohemia live make sure you don’t miss it. After that, this album will serve as a happy reminder and allow you to relive the joy of that experience.