I'm not too sure at what point it is you go from being fan to psycho stalker freak.... but yes, I am blogging once again about Southampton's finest - Jet Heeled Striker. Starting on a negative point, lads you did have us waiting some time for this gig; on a positive though, God it was worth waiting for!
It was the second time they've headlined now, and watching the number of people enter (and stay) in the Joiners last night was good to see. It was great to stand back and see how many people were there and really enjoying the music. Not just their fans, but also people who had come for the subliminal Seventh Seed who then stuck around and gave JHS a chance.
I know Chris was struggling with his throat, and talking afterwards...well I say 'talking' but I think 'croaking' is a far better description... he was clearly in some pain. It really didn't seem to affect him on stage though, his performance was as dynamic and honest as ever.
That's a description that I would use happily for the whole band though. I don't profess to know them all, so it's only a generalisation based on observation and those members that I do know; but they play and sing like they're doing it for themselves as much as for anyone else. There's no act going on, the music comes from within in a way that's exhilarating and infectious. The smiles, laughter and movements that were taking place on stage were clearly because that's where they're happy, where they feel uninhibited and confident. And that's exactly how they should be, because the music they make is something they should be proud, happy and confident of.
They tried out something new tonight, having Adam play an acoustic number in the middle of the set. I've heard him play the song before and fell in love with it then, and on stage he played it even more beautifully. It was a brave thing for them to do, but it didn't upset the balance of the gig. Loved it.
There were a couple of new songs being showcased last night which went down very well. I've said before that their songs are all individual and distinctive whilst at the same time sounding like them. Their songs are clever, they're not these ten-a-penny American punk songs that after a while become slightly indistinctive. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of American punk, I'm a fan of pretty much any punk, but there is a general misconception that it can be mastered by any group of spotty fifteen year olds with a couple of guitars. It can't. You can tell listening to JHS that there is a lot going on in their songs, the more times you hear them, the more you hear in them. There is a subtle complexity to them that is clever. There's a very small line between being too complex and therefore pretty inaccessible, and being too simple and therefore nothing to keep you hooked. JHS have mastered that in their songwriting, both lyrically and musically. It shows their intelligence and their knowledge in all aspects of music.
Yes, their fans had to wait since July to see them, but when the music is that good, it's forgivable. Same with the album. If speeding it up would jeopardize the standard and quality of the songs, then take your time guys. I know it will be worth the wait.
On a personal comment, Ali and Becky, congratulations - you got me 'dancing' sober for the first time since I was about seven. I honestly don't know whether to love you or hate you!
No comments:
Post a Comment