Live Review

Jim Jones Revue – King Tut’s Glasgow

• 18th Oct 2010

Putting it very simply, the Jim Jones Revue rocked. They rocked loudly and proudly, much to the delight of a sell-out audience last night in Glasgow.

The evening’s entertainment commenced with a very nice set from Selective Service. The local band’s blend of blues and rock somehow evoked the sixties while simultaneously having a contemporary feel to it. And the repeated keyboard flourishes nicely highlighted their fine musicianship. I’ve made a note to see them again.

The second support act was Mighty Juice. Their curious rockabilly style was plodding and pedestrian at times, although the reverb heavy vocals gave an interesting effect. Add in some very nice guitar work and an electric fiddle and you get a set that grew stronger as it progressed. Comedy moment of the night came when a voice from the crowd pointed out their drummer’s resemblance to David Cameron!

Jim Jones and his band didn’t so much play to the audience as assault it with a non stop string of rocking songs that crackled with all the raw energy of a nuclear attack. Their amazing fusion of old style rock n roll and punk was played at a pace that at first seemed impossible, yet they managed to maintain it all night long.

From the opening cover of Little Richard’s Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey through to the closing Princess and The Frog, the crowd was treated to an hour of superb music and showmanship.

Jones himself spent much of the set upon the small barrier that separated him from his audience. He demanded participation through sing-alongs and handclapping. And the crowd was more than happy to oblige. Jones has the sneering presence of a Jagger, strutting across the stage and controlling proceedings exactly as he wished, conducting and prompting when required.

Elliot Mortimer on piano put in a performance that would have been worth the admission money on its own. He pounded the keys the way it used to be done back in the heyday of rock n roll, driving the music forward with an intensity that was astonishing to behold. And the rest of the band was damned good too.

The set was based around JJR’s new album, Burning Your House Down, with the single High Horse and the title track being the stand outs. Rock n Roll Psychosis and the closing 512 from their first album were also superbly delivered.

An encore was an absolute must. No one was for leaving until the band returned to the stage to play three more songs in quick succession, before a highly entertaining set finally concluded leaving the crowd almost shell shocked after such a blistering performance.

If you’ve never seen the Jim Jones Revue play live, you really are missing out on a very special live band. Next time they play in your town, do yourself a favour and buy a ticket. I can guarantee that you won’t regret it.