Jim Jones All Stars
Trades Membership, Hebden Bridge
4th November 2023

The supercharged rock’n’roll juggernaut that’s Jim Jones All Stars roared into city on their in depth Ain’t No Peril tour and easily blew the roof off the Trades Membership as soon as once more. Ian Corbridge was there entrance and centre to climate the storm for Louder Than Warfare in what proved to be yet one more phenomenal night time within the midst of a moist and windy Hebden Bridge.

Assembled in lockdown, fuelled by a love of their rock’n’roll heritage, ignited by the liberty of the brand new world, and fine-tuned on the street, Jim Jones All Stars have shortly emerged because the drive to be reckoned with on the dwell circuit and nobody who sees them will ever go away empty handed or in any doubt in regards to the wonderful sights and sounds they’ve simply witnessed. This night time in Hebden Bridge was testomony to precisely that judging by the response of the sold-out crowd each throughout and after the gig on the Trades Membership, itself among the finest dwell venues on the circuit.

In truth, the Trades Membership was the scene of one of many All Stars earliest gigs again in February 2022 when Louder Than Warfare was additionally in attendance (reviewed right here) and there’s little doubt that this rock’n’roll freight practice has stepped up a number of gears since then, as their finely honed craft has change into an actual tour de drive on the rock’n’roll circuit. And now on the again of again of the All Stars debut album Ain’t No Peril, which was Louder Than Warfare’s Album of the Week in September, the band are driving by an intensive tour of the UK which can then head over to varied elements of Europe.

The band itself are actually a totally shaped collective which, alongside Jim Jones on vocals and guitar, contains his fixed companion on bass, Gavin Jay and one other former Jim Jones Revue stalwart, Elliot Mortimer on piano and keyboards. Then we now have guitarist Carlton Mounsher, drummer Aidan Sinclair, Ali Jones on backing vocals and percussion and a beast of a tenor/ baritone sax assault of Stuart Dace and Tom Hodges. So earlier than they even hit the stage, there are already very excessive expectations from the assembled plenty. And what an unimaginable night time it proved to be!

It’s honest to say that the assist band from London, The Pearl Harts made their very own vital contribution to the vibe of the entire night with their very own storming set which warmed everybody up on a chilly and damp night up within the Yorkshire hills. With the two-pronged assault of Kirsty Lowrey on vocals and guitar and Sarah Leigh-Shaw on drums, backing vocals and samples, The Pearl Harts set about their eight-song set with immense vigour primarily taking songs from their two albums up to now but in addition testing out one or two new ones. Their most up-to-date album, Child Chaos actually demonstrates how their sound is evolving to change into a powerhouse unit in their very own proper and their efficiency tonight actually cemented that view.

Specific highlights have been songs equivalent to Extra and Child Chaos taken from their new album. These and numerous different songs appeared to span numerous musical genres however have been all underpinned with a lofty glam-rock-type vibe, a complete heap of swagger and no scarcity of memorable hooks. While making a proper outdated racket, they carried out some complicated preparations seemingly with comparable ease and for me they’re among the finest bands of this kind this aspect of The White Stripes. Undoubtedly one other band on your sonic radar sooner or later.

As for Jim Jones All Stars, tonight we’re handled to a seismic mix of tracks from Jim Jones varied incarnations, from the darkish and psychedelic leanings of Thee Hypnotics by the extraordinary and rampaging music catalogues of The Jim Jones Revue, Jim Jones & The Righteous Thoughts and clearly a batch of songs from the present All Stars album. Meld all this along with some traditional songs from previous eras that are drawn from a collective wealthy musical heritage from which all of this new challenge developed, you could have a really inspiring set listing which is all set to thrill, entertain and get you to place your dancing footwear all in equal measures.

After a quick intro, the All Stars dive bomb straight into the incendiary rhythms of the Revue traditional Cement Mixer. While I couldn’t spot any burlesque dancers within the viewers tonight which is a common reference level for this music, there was nonetheless a really loud sing-a-long with the road “right here we go, good and sluggish” alongside the crunching backbeat of the music. This leads us straight right into a rock’n’roll tackle Carl Lester’s 60’s Northern Soul traditional When You See Me Harm, with the drums and sax taking centre stage.

The debut album then will get an airing by Gimme The Grease which explodes with a monstrous beat riddled with an enormous dollop of James Brown-style funk and soul, adopted by the prehistoric swamp-infested beat of Satan’s Kiss which instantly takes us again to the darkish aspect of the rock’n’roll world. The tempo doesn’t let up on an incendiary tackle the Revue’s Burning Your Home Down earlier than some delicate respite by an outdated delta blues music Parchman Farm on which Stuart takes a lead on tenor sax.

As soon as once more the band’s tackle Little Richard’s Can’t Consider You Wanna Go away was an absolute spotlight with a swing and swagger such as you’ve not often ever heard earlier than, exercising each ounce of sophistication from all corners of this excellent band as this dirty-blues stomper unfolded. This was adopted by the swampy grooves of the Velvet’s Run, Run, Run, prompting one other sing-a-long, after which a wild journey by the new and sweaty swamps of Memphis with You Bought The Greatest Stink (I Ever Stunk).

The darkish and demonic vibes of the considerably lyrically up to date model of the Righteous Thoughts’s Devil’s Bought His Coronary heart Set On You, with a gospel-infused rhythm dominated by Gavin’s driving bass, Elliot’s rolling keys and the dual saxophone assault, lead us straight right into a rampaging model of Shoot First earlier than taking a swift side-step right into a joyous tackle the Beatles’ Everyone’s Bought One thing To Cover Besides Me And My Monkey.

Staying with the 60’s songbook, we get the grinding beat and hard-edged rhythm and blues vibe of It’s Your Voodoo Working after which the old-fashioned rhythm and blues of I Need You (Any Manner I Can). With the amps turned as much as the max, Troglodyte merely oozes with the monstrous groove of soiled funky caveman rock earlier than main seamlessly into the mournful southern soul of The Wallace Brothers’ music Lovers Prayer.

The primary set concludes with a trilogy of classics from the Jim Jones again catalogue beginning with a wild and chaotic Rock’n’Roll Psychosis with Aidan on drums main us all again into the darkish aspect, adopted by a high-velocity tackle Princess & The Frog, with Elliot taking centre stage on the keyboard, after which all rounding it off with a merely triumphant model of the psychedelic storage rock traditional from Thee Hypnotics that’s Shakedown. It’s an incendiary and evangelical mixture of all that was nice in regards to the likes of the MC5, the Stooges and The Cramps and a really climactic method to finish the set.

However in fact, that would not be the tip, at the least not for the new and sweaty viewers who have been baying for extra, and the All Stars duly obliged. As Jim obtained again on the stage, he famous that the subsequent music simply needed to be accomplished with all of the assembled expertise that was round him and, plundering the traditional Stax again catalogue, the band launched right into a rampant take of Eddie Floyd’s Massive Hen which as soon as once more introduced the home down with Stuart and Tom taking centre stage with saxophones at full pelt. The night time was then lastly delivered to an in depth with one other incendiary blast of rock’n’roll from the Revue’s very personal 512. Guitars, saxophones and arms have been aloft proper throughout the venue, the applause was deafening and it was time to depart, all drained and sizzling however very, very comfortable.

There are gigs, there are rock’n’roll exhibits after which there’s Jim Jones All Stars setting a brand new benchmark at this exceptionally excessive degree. This night time on the Trades Membership was marked by one other actually phenomenal efficiency which can be remembered by all these current for a really very long time. Belief me, in the event you really feel that there’s something lacking out of your life, then my guess is that it’s most likely this expertise, so get on the market and seize the chance while you continue to can.

With none query in my thoughts, this efficiency by Jim Jones All Stars was one of many gigs of the 12 months. Of their comparatively quick life span, Jim Jones All Stars have been carving out their very personal distinctive place within the annals of rock’n’roll historical past and it’s nearly horrifying to assume the place they’ll take us sooner or later. However relaxation assured I, together with all those that noticed them on the Trades Membership, can be with them each step and beat of the way in which.

You will discover The Jim Jones All Stars on Fb, Instagram, Bandcamp and their web site.

                                                  ~

All phrases and pictures by Ian Corbridge. You will discover extra of his writing at his writer profile.