For most of 2020, the only 'Aeroplane Bathroom' many of us experienced was the one referenced in the opening track of Gordiâs second album, 'Our Two Skins'.
Her sophomore release, inspired by tumultuous times, including the death of grandmother, was an ideal lockdown soundtrack, with its songs about panic and perseverance. On the round stage of the Wonderland Spiegeltent, surrounded by synths, effects pedals and keys, fans were treated to a tour long awaited, as Gordi completed the second solo show in a two-night run with a little help from a surprise guest.
As the final notes of âAeroplane Bathroomâ rang out within the ornate mirrored Spiegeltent, Gordi lamented that her sustain pedal wasnât working, which prompted a shadowy figure â a roadie perhaps â to scurry through the backstage tent flap in search of a replacement pedal. Itâs alright, sheâs a doctor, accustomed to pressure situations and emergency adaptation. She stood, grabbed her guitar, and delivered âHate The Worldâ, a song inspired by Hannah Gadsbyâs âNanetteâ, about enduring in a hate-filled world without giving in to it.
The mystery figure then emerged from backstage â not a member of the stage crew, it was Alex Lahey, collaborator on recently released single âDinoâsâ, inspired by a dive bar in Nashville that the pair drank at back when international travel was a thing. No luck with the sustain pedal backstage, Alex said, but there was plenty of fake eyelashes and hula hoops, she joked, before they launched into the new single.
Aside from her 2015 single âCan We Work It Outâ and a cover of Paul Kellyâs âWhen I First Met Your Maâ, Gordiâs hour-long set was predominately and understandably material from âOur Two Skinsâ. To unleash third single, âVolcanicâ, though, the issue of the sustain pedal needed to be addressed. When a roll of gaffer tape failed to do the trick, it was time for some daredevil improvisation. As Gordi joked âpeople fly from the trapeze in hereâ, so she can take a leap of faith too. After the songâs crescendo, the vocoder eruption of âit must wear you outâ, she took a breath or two; it was a successful landing from the trapeze.
Gordi is extraordinary live. While her other job may be a doctor, her music heals too.