GIG REVIEW

Date	: 24th May 2007
Location	: The High Rocks, Tunbridge Wells
Reviewer	: Jason Marchant

Tucked away in the sleepy but beautiful countryside of Royal Tunbridge Wells is a picturesque ivy covered pub with a large old hall attached. A beautiful location for a nice meal out with the girlfriend/wife you would think, but had you arrived at 7pm on 24th May 2007 you would have found a queue to the bar that stretched 80 yards out the door with around 500 Jam fans queuing for a pre-gig beer leaving the one barman stretched to his limited. For a fan of The Jam this was a minor irritation as they have travelled far and wide to hear the music that carried such passion and energy for them when in their youth.

Certainly when the doors to the venue opened the fans poured in to find a picturesque venue, a hall full of oak beams and history that must have held many wedding receptions over the years, a setting that seemed out of touch with the lyrics from the songs that they had come to hear.

Whereas most of the fans that had travelled to the gig were in their 40's the warm up act was so young that he certainly had not been born when all the members of The Jam played their last gig together in 1982. Simon Lee, a young singer/guitarist wearing a harmonica started with a song called The Buskers Blues that went down as well as a Turkish waiter trying to get off with your Mum but still received a polite clap from the audience. After that he improved but as he didn't know the words to his own songs he was constantly looking through his songbook which just added to his obvious nervousness. Certainly he had a lot to learn (the words to his songs would be a good start) before he could hold an audience's attention as about half of the crowd took his set as a good chance to get to the bar that now had four staff serving beer. When his set finished the audience were left in no doubt that he had serious girlfriend issues. The atmosphere though noticeably moved up a notch, as the crowd moved closer to the stage, creating hot, sweaty conditions for all, as the roadies finished their setting up which, as always, seemed to take forever.

With the stage set, the crowd ready, and the warm up act nursing a shandy at the bar with his mum, Rick Buckler lead from The Jam past the window at the back of the hall and out onto the stage to a huge ovation from the 500 lucky ticket holders.

Rick Buckler with his shaven head took his place behind the drums on the small crowded stage, while Bruce Foxton looked cool in his black suit as he plugged in his bass guitar, both looked slim and every bit the old rock star. The newcomers Russell Hastings and David Moore didn't catch the attention at first but went about their business in a professional manner.

All set and ready to go, Hastings launched into the opening notes of "In the City" and the crowd leapt in joy. Hastings hit the notes in a way that sent the 40 somethings way back to the late 70's when they were wearing drainpipe trousers and winklepickers, by the time Foxton laid in the baseline some of the crowd were already pogoing. Hastings sang and played the song as if he had lived every word and written every note, for this performance he owned the song.

The group moved next into "Modern World", Foxton obviously enjoying himself with a few winks and nods to members of the crowd, his movements and jumps as energetic as they had been back in early 80's. When he played the opening bars of "Pretty Green" the audience was jumping with as much energy as a pack of antelopes trying to avoid a lion, no longer 40 somethings they were now teenage kids again for one night only.

Hastings knew what he wanted from the performance and has perfected his sound and playing to the highest level and has not left any of the energy or passion missing from the songs that Weller originally put in. For aficionados he will never be Weller but then he doesn't need to be as his own commitment and drive to the music of The Jam could be felt in every song and you could feel the audience appreciated his devotion.

Foxton has lost none of his talent on the bass and still shows energy, enthusiasm and a great stage presence as his deep bass chords rip through the hearts and minds of the audience. Buckler looks more like he should be playing a thug in Guy Ritchie movie than being the drummer in a band but give him the sticks and he lays into the drum kit with as much power and force as he did 25 years ago. A stick perfect contribution.

David Moore was unassuming almost hiding on the stage leaving the crowds adulation to Hastings, Foxton and Buckler, but his contribution was huge in building the full sound for a great deal of the songs.

You would think that an hour into the gig the audience would be slowing down and showing its age but by the time "Eton Rifles" started the audience was just getting started. Huge surges swept through the now sweat soaked crowd as they jumped, danced, sung and shouted their way through the words "there's a price to pay……Eton Rifles".

When the set came to a finish with the excellent "Going Underground" the crowd knew an encore was coming so despite the wild cheering as their heroes left the stage the chants of "Tubestation" began. From The Jam made them wait till they were stamping and clapping before returning to the stage to incredibly louder cheering than seemed possible from such a small crowd.

The encore included "The Gift", the long awaited "Tubestation" and finished with the all time favourite "Town called Malice" where Moore finally proved to those in the audience who hadn't paid attention to him how much he adds to from The Jam.

As from The Jam left the stage to a huge ovation you were left in no doubt that everyone, apart from Simon Lee who had still failed to find a girlfriend, had had a great night. The audience left happily soaked, tired, horse and temporarily deafened to roar out through the quiet country lanes in their cars reliving memories of the last time they left a Jam concert trying to get home on a tube or on their scooter.

It certainly was a great night out and at only £15 a ticket it was the bargain of the century to see four great musicians playing the music that they obviously love for a small devoted audience. Weller deserted The Jam a long time ago and it may take the combined talents Russell Hastings and David Moore to replace him but they have bought new life and belief to the music that Weller no longer cares for.