Live In London

[AndrewD]

Oh my God. <img>

Just got home from the gig. Incredible. Everything we wanted and more. <img> Highlights = The Wagon (encore); Get Me (incredible solo); J’s dual solo/strumming capabilities, only 2 songs from the new album (Free So Free & Freedom) Maybe more – dunno, still in a haze.

Loads of classics – Repulsion, The Lung, Flying Cloud, Thumd (OHHH YESSSS!!!) I Live for that Look, What Else Is New, Ammaring (VERY GOOD)…the list goes on – every one a classic. <img>

If you have the opportunity to go to any of J’s gigs on this tour – GO.

Amazing, possibly the best ever – yes, semi-acoustic, but oh my god sooooooo good.

J rules. Still. And will 4 ever. <img> <img> <img>

[Eight Ball Joe]

Hi I really enjoyed the show, but it just never seems long enough!!!

Sorry to be a pedant, but I don’t think he was strumming and soloing simultaneously (I could be wrong, I could only see his head), I think he was using a digital delay to prerecord the strumming bits (hence playing the middle of songs for a few seconds before each song with a solo) then playing over the loop.

To tell the truth I was a little disappointed that he didn’t play severed lips or start choppin’, but hey he did rock.

cheerio.

[FlyingCloud]

hey AndrewD & Eight Ball Joe, thanks for the reviews
I can’t really take part in the discussion about the way how J produces those incredible solos; all I know is that it sounds fantastic

[*sophie*]

oh lucky you !
i would love to hear him singing free so free live !!!

[Gibbon]

I was sat on the stage about 5 feet away from him and I can confirm he was tapping one of his pedals to pre-record the strumming section and then loop it back over his solo. I’m still in shock, it was an amazing show.

I got his plectrum! I got his plectrum!

[kockney]

heh i havent been to dingwalls since i was a 17 year old punk in, ermmmm 1977.. and this wasnt it! Some horrible room.. I suppose the old one got pulled down to make yuppie £500,000 flats.. nice to see camden is still full of confused japanese youth wearing lampshades and other things they read were ‘cool’ in style mags.

Good show sound wise and not a bad view apart from some prat with a camcorder who seemed to feel this entitled him to distract everyone else with his lame camera moves.. plus the bugger was at least 6ft tall. Finally somebody even taller and more pugnacious made him stop -not that he did so with good grace. I hope that camcorder person was not one of ‘us’ cos if so he should be fucking ashamed of himself and should examine his selfishness more closely. You are very tall and you have a zoom lens, so you dont need to stand at the very front you git! J gave him the occasional look too, especialy when he virtually shoved the camera into his face

anyway, yes acoustic freakscene – sort of worked but the solo descended into sonic sludge as might have been expected – little of the new album. J seemed keen but Im sure he must be getting tired..I know i sort of drifted off during some of the solos although 99% were very good indeed. Hes got a punishing schedule and hes been playing these same songs a very long time indeed

For me its all worth it the very first time he goes ‘electric” mid song always a great moment especially when you see those audience members who didnt know/werent expecting it react. The sudden transition back to acoustic always gets a cheer too.

yeh he was very good, better than at metro I think… but I dont think I can see another J acoustic show for a while.. no matter how good the solos its getting a bit repetitive. I need to see him with a band again

K

[AGAP]

Thanks for the review K, you’re certainly right about the punishing schedule Hope you get a chance to see The Stooges Tribute, no doubt sonic to the max!!!

Allison

[rambleon]

i’m pretty sure the camcorder guy was working for j … but i don’t know if j had planned it that way (ie the guy irritating everyone and getting in their way w/o any apologies) and you’re right … he was pulling some crazy moves as if he was trying to make it more exciting by moving closer to j and then pulling away quickly — i thought the lens was supposed to do that zoom effect for you … maybe he had a crap camera maybe he was just a loser !

oh yeah … and i liked the metro better, but that’s just me

[kockney]

well he may have been working for j, but i dunno. Looked more like some bloody first year film student the way he was waving it around.

the funny thing (i thought) was the guy who made him stop. This guy was one of those Ive seen at every gig Ive been too in the last 20+ years (maybe its the same one!). They are always extra tall,have weird blonde beards and hair and sort of disconnected body movements like someone cut the strings.

anyway, he got the camcorder guy to stop so hurrah for him

incidentally all through the late 70s early 80s I was a freelance photographer at gigs and invariably I would get in someones way if I wasnt in the pit or in the wings, but I would always move around so as not to piss the same people off constantly. (punks were not known for their gentle nature) Plus of course I kept my camera at my eye, not waving it around at arms length which helped. Essentially I took up no more room than anyone else

k

[rambleon]

sounds like you had a good plan going … if that guy reads this, maybe he’ll take the hint ?

[Author]

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