Jim Jones Revue + John J Presley @ The Cluny, Newcastle 17th October 2012

I have to admit I’m rather fond of the Cluny in Newcastle, when you first walk in its light and bright and has some of the best selections of rums and whiskeys in the city. (It’s always nice to have more to choose from than JD or Bells.) It’s warm, welcoming, and has a very relaxed atmosphere which is perfect for catching up with friends or unwinding after a day at work. However go a little further up the wooden steps and round the corner past the toilets and you enter the belly of the beast, the dark and brooding music venue. When we get there the crowd is already building with small groups milling along the balcony or picking the best spots on the pit floor in front of the stage. After a quick chat with the merchandise guy we decided that the only way to watch the upcoming bands was right at the front, which thanks to the Cluny sound system set up, wouldn’t deafen us for the next three days. Don’t get me wrong here, it is very loud in there, but because of how the speakers are set up the sound is the same throughout the club, which makes a very nice change from some other venues I’ve been to recently where permanent ear damage was a real risk when standing at the front by the stage. So drinks in hand we took our places just in time as the lights dimmed at the first act of the night strode onto the stage.

John J Presley has been on the road with the Jim Jones Revue for the last few weeks and I was curious at the pairing. John J Presley are most noted for their folk styled music and Jim Jones Revue…well we’ll get to that a little later. With a brief nod to the crowd the music began, yes it was folk music, but it was the darkest most brooding folk music I have ever heard. John’s deep tones added another dark layer to the energetic instrument playing and when his female counterpart joined them on stage the music truly came to life. I questioned the pairing no more with songs such as ‘Reason of the Damned’ and probably the best one they performed ‘Sweet Sister’. The chorus for one of their last songs asked ‘Are You Satisfied?’ and the answer is yes, most definitely. They describe their music as blues with a folk noir twist and I can’t think of a better description. Their show is a little lacking in audience participation but I have every confidence that this will change as the band grows in confidence and experience. What they lack in engaging the audience they make up for with an expert live performance and great songs. It was a short but sweet set and we were now getting into the swing of things nicely.

With the main event only minutes away the pit was packed and the balcony was full too as Steve made a last minute dash to the bar (Its thirsty work this live gig reviewing lark!) and only just made it back in time as the lights dimmed and the Jim Jones Revue took to the stage. Now I knew these guys put on a good show, they were voted best live act of 2011, so I naively thought I knew what to expect. They opened with ‘Where Da Money Go?’, I say opened but really what they did was explode into a high octane music extravaganza that left us reeling as they slid seamlessly from one song to the next. They started fast and didn’t slow down or stop until they took a brief pause before their five song encore at the end of the show. Along the way they induced some of the most enthusiastic crowd sing along I’ve ever participated in, jigged and jived all over the stage until their shirts clung to them and the sweat dripped from their brows (often on the front row of the crowd when they reached out to Jim as he leaned over them), and played their hearts out.

The addition of Henri as their pianist was on balance a very good move, Jim described him as a ‘Duracell powerhouse’ and he really is! In fact all the members of the band are hugely skilled and passionate about what they do and it shows in every chord and every beat. They played classics such as ‘Burning Your House Down’ and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Psychosis’ along with newer songs such as ‘Gotta be About Me’ and ‘In and Out of Harm’s Way’.

I have never been so completely wrapped up in a live show as I was last night, lost to the energy and adrenalin that coursed through us like a living breathing thing, feeling every rippling rhythm from the pianist shudder up my spine as the bass beats and drums thrummed in my ribcage. It was almost with a physical jolt that the show came to an end as that wonderful sound that had so absorbed us all ending as abruptly as it had begun. The band spent some time after the show on the balcony chatting to everyone and signing bits and bobs for us. It was the perfect end to a perfect show. Jim Jones Revue live is an experience I can’t recommend highly enough, they are more than a band playing on a stage, they are a phenomenon in music and this was as close to perfection as close to heaven as any musician can ever take you. 9.5/10

Helen Todner