From The Jam
17th September 2019
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Richard Myburgh.
From the Jam refuse to refer to themselves as a tribute band, and nor should they; their live shows of such a high standard that to call them a mere covers band would be an insult to both them and the music itself.
Last night the trio of Russell Hastings, Bruce Foxton and Mike Randon played to yet another sold out venue, something that has become a familiar occurrence over this current Greatest Hits Australasian tour.
Beginning the evening in style was Auckland’s own bar top scuffing Dead Beat Boys, a band so enthusiastically rowdy that they soon had punters – many of whom were twice their age – singing along to their tracks despite it being a dreary Tuesday night. Having been performing live for a few years now, it is good to see this rather talented band of misfits picking up some well-deserved international support slots, the quintet having opened for both Me First & The Gimme Gimmes as well as Irish American legends Flogging Molly just a few months ago.
Led by James Fitz who could still give Pelle Almqvist of The Hives a damn good run for his money, The Dead Beat Boys are Jimmy Christmas (Luger Boa) approved and for good reason; tracks such as ‘Bland’ and ‘1993’ fusing together the idyllic blend of grimy rock n roll and punk, the band themselves often partaking in hilarious self-deprecating banter when not threatening to go on strike or diving off stage and performing in the middle of the crowd. Take your eyes off them for a second and you will likely lose track of Fitz who – as the commander and chief of the longest mic chord in the Southern Hemisphere – will often disappear, only to be spotted at the back of the venue traversing the length of the bar. ‘New York’ the bands personal story of moving from a small town to the big city of Auckland was soon followed up by the infectious ‘2’ and ‘Shit Day’, both of which saw Fitz lead the ever swelling numbers in the room in a bit of a sing along. Easily one of the best live local bands on the circuit at the moment, Dead Beat Boys are more than worthy of your time.
Afforded the space to really flex their musical muscle, the trio who form From the Jam arrived on stage to rapturous applause that had a decidedly English accent, shows such as this often drawing many an expat out of the woodwork. The Jam may have had a fairly short lived career, but their brand of mod revival/punk rock left it’s mark, the band releasing eighteen consecutive Top 40 singles over a period of just five years; and while the likelihood of the original line-up reforming becomes ever more unlikely with the passing of time, From the Jam continue to keep the songs alive with genuine passion.
Much of this comes down to both Hastings and Foxton, the duo two halves of one whole; Hastings himself having worked with both Foxton and Rick Buckler, his knowledge of The Jam and its compositions second to none. Not only is he an outstanding front man but an accomplished guitarist and more importantly he knows just how to perform the songs faithfully without ever falling into the territory of imitation.
Foxton of course is right up there in the league of iconic bass players; much like Peter Hook or John Paul Jones, watching Foxton play bass is a thing of beauty, the instrument a part of him and he of it. Foxton lives the music, his impressive kick jumps on stage illustrating this as he tips the head of the bass down towards the front row, the tiniest of knowing smiles twinkling in his eye.
Kicking off with a cover of The Kinks ‘David Watts’, From the Jam had the audience in the palm of their hand from the get-go, the fans collective voice filling the room with an atmosphere that only shows like this can ever generate; early classics such as ‘Town Called Malice’ reverberating throughout. Mike Randon – who has been drumming with From the Jam for almost the last five years – consistently impressed behind the kit, the bands onstage configuration ensuring that the audience had a continuous perfect view of his intricate skin work.
Keeping the repartee to a minimum, the show was all about the music, an acoustic section that included a moving version of ‘Private Hell’ giving both band and fans the chance to take it down a notch and soak it all up before once again throwing themselves into the music.
Hits, kicks, cowbells and a hotly demanded encore that included some serious guitar and bass displays, From The Jam delivered everything the fans could have wanted and more.
Now that’s entertainment.
Were you there at the Powerstation for this magnificent celebration of Punk and New Wave? Or have you seen From The Jam perform somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
From The Jam Setlist:
- David Watts [The Kinks cover]
- The Modern World
- Town Called Malice
- It’s Too Bad
- The Butterfly Collector
- Saturday’s Kids
- News Of The World
- To Be Someone (Didn’t We Have A Nice Time)
- English Rose
- Smithers-Jones
- Private Hell
- A Bomb In Wardour Street
- Down In The Tube Station At Midnight
- That’s Entertainment
- Start!
- Strange Town
- In The City [encore]
- The Eton Rifles [encore]
- Underground [encore]
Dead Beat Boys Setlist:
- Bland
- 1993
- Forget It
- Voices
- Shigood
- Fuck
- New York
- 2
- Shit Day
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