Rarely have we seen such a comprehensive accumulation of leather jackets and pompadours, The Jim Jones Revue attracting a mixed audience with old school rock’n’rollers and grease monkeys accompanying hipsters and youngsters.

Support act Lewis Floyd Henry has an air of Robert Johnson about him, his raw performance proving to be a great show with dirty and distorted vocals matching his guitar. A really animated performer, making lots of hand movements and freaky sounds, a special mention must go to his song ‘Rickety Ol’ Rollercoaster’ for his simultaneous slide guitar and interpretive hand motions. This one-man band had a pure essence of rock’n’roll, it clearly runs through his blood, as was obvious when he ended his set by kicking over the foot-operated drum kit, helping to define the evening.

The Jim Jones Revue came out strong, perhaps too strong for all but the most enthusiastic fans, and it took a couple of songs for the crowd to really get stuck in. But by ‘Shoot First’ the audience was roaring, catching up with the active and enthusiastic front man. The hard-hitting, ballsy vocals from the sweaty Jim Jones made the energetic bluesy 1950s’ rockabilly performance something special.

With brilliant piano work, by the time the lyrics to ‘Burning Your House Down’ were being screamed down the microphone, the crowd was swinging. And with an apt smoke machine joining the mix, the gig descended into misty and distorted mayhem. In a good way. The turbulent verses and stop and start show made for an intense gig, with everyone in the crowd partaking in the ego-boosting chants during ‘Say Yeah’.

As you’d expect from a man who puts his own name in his outfit’s moniker, Jim Jones really makes this band and elevates what is essentially a really tight garage group to a gang of leather-clad rockabilly rock stars.

The Jim Jones Revue
Concorde 2
Wednesday 13th April 2011
Words by Bill Robinson