Ian Waller and friends enjoys a nostalgic evening of great music
There was only one place to be for mums and dads of a certain age in Bath last night. The Jam tribute act, The Jam’d, were playing Komedia offering an evening of just great music and a chance to enjoy our youth.
The Jam were, of course, one of Britain’s best ever bands, fronted by the genius of Paul Weller and knocking out a huge number of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as well as a collection of wonderful albums including the classics All Mod Cons and Setting Sons. For fans such as me, they were just unbeatable and the chance to revisit their back catalogue was too good to miss.
I’ve been to Komedia so many times for great evenings of music, comedy and talks, and I’ve pretty much always enjoyed it. And The Jam’d only added to the positive experience. With front man Dave Fletcher taking on Paul Weller’s role, John Cartor standing in for Rick Buckler on drums and Chris Malin taking Bruce Foxton’s place on bass, the addition of a brass section helped to really bring the band’s energy and skills to light.
Right from the start, The Jam’d knew what their audience wanted and played the part to perfection. With a minimum of chatter, the classic tracks kept coming, from the early days of The Modern World and In The City, to the peak genius of Going Underground and Eton Rifles, and even the the funkier sounds of Beat Surrender and Town Called Malice, the band did just a great job.
Around us, old mods mixed with couples and friends of a certain vintage as they sang along with that type of memory that makes you forget your nephew’s and niece’s birthdays but allows you to remember every word of a song that you haven’t heard in a decade!
As the chart hits mingled with classic album tracks, the performances from the band got better and better, with the bassmanship of Chris Malin proving particularly impressive – the great Bruce Foxton would be proud.
For a Friday night treat out, The Jam’d at Komedia was just a great end to the working week, with the gig ending at 10pm meaning we weren’t too tired out either and we could catch the bus home!
Next time they’re in town, I can thoroughly recommend The Jam’d for a great night out. In the meantime, check out the fantastic list of upcoming shows at Komedia. If it is anything like last night’s fun, you’ll have a great time.