Gang of Youths in Philadelphia: The Good, The Bad, and the ??
If Gang of Youths were to decide against ever scheduling another gig in Philadelphia, it’d be totally understandable after the bad luck the band encountered there this week.
It began on Thursday, just a few hours before their scheduled gig at the Theatre of Living Arts. The band announced on social media that “one of our crew received a serious electrical shock” during soundcheck. Though the band never announced who it was, we understand that the shock victim was longtime tour crew member Stuart Dew. We also understand that he’s doing fine now.
(Coincidentally, this isn’t the first time electrical problems have impacted a GOY gig. In the summer of 2019, their appearance at the Bushstock Festival was canceled because of a “faulty power supply” that made the stage unsafe for artists and fans.)
The band’s post mentioned “serious electrical issues on stage” and that all ticket holders would get a full refund.
While saying they couldn’t do a full show, the band also announced that Dave would do an acoustic set from out on the venue floor. Turning proverbial lemons into lemonade, Dave and Tom performed a 10-song set and even took audience questions in between songs. The set included the first performance of “Kansas” since November 2018, and rare performances of “Fear And Trembling” and “Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane.” It was a magical and unforgettable evening by all accounts from the almost sellout crowd. See the full set and a bunch of social media photos/videos here on our website.
That wasn’t the end of it, though, in Philadelphia.
On Friday, a few hours before its Washington, DC, gig, the band announced that Donnie had fractured the pinky finger on his right hand while the band was in Philadelphia. Donnie himself shared the news, saying he’s “unable to play the show on drums tonight in DC (and most likely the remainder of US tour dates).”
In his place, extra/unofficial band member Louis Giannamore took over on drums in DC. He’s a talented multi-instrumentalist who’s been on stage with GOY at every show of this tour, as well as at many of the non-tour promo gigs/appearances over the past few months. He’s often seen playing extra percussion on stage, and Donnie described him as “a monster on the kit, too.”
It remains to be seen if this’ll be the plan going forward for the rest of the tour; the band has six shows left over the next 11 days.
One thing’s for sure: You can bet they’re glad to be far away from Philadelphia.
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