September 26 - London

An "At the gig" report by Todd Bishopp

A blustery day greeted us as we hopped into the bus for the ride from Portsmouth to London. Suzanne Vega's "Songs In Red And Gray" was the soundtrack for today's journey. The mood in the bus was relaxed yet jovial.

For the gig, Dave's hair was loosely falling off his left shoulder. Soundcheck had its share of highlights. Among them were Dave's beautiful rendition of the Carpenter's "Close To You," Graham's spoken word version of the Beatles' "The Word," and Joe and the Band jamming on an instrumental version of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe."

The Marquee was packed with a sold out crowd eager to see the reunion of the original Joe Jackson Band. At 9:20 the show kicked off with a ferocious "One More Time," which was propelled by Dave's powerful drumming. Two of the new songs "Awkward Age" and "Take It Like A Man" followed. Next up was a sharp version (pun intended) of "Look Sharp!"

Joe then greeted the crowd and said "Yes! We're back! Lock up your daughters!" He also asked the crowd if everything sounded alright as all he could hear was "thunderous bass," which he added was "physically quite nice." Joe then introduced the new song "Chrome." Things really got hopping with "Thugs 'R' Us," with its ska rhythms whipping the crowd into a
frenzy.

The crowd then helped Joe out with the vocals on "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" Things got so out of hand that Joe finally gave up singing and just let the crowd do their thing. A great rocking version of "On Your Radio" was next.

As Joe sat at his keyboards getting ready for the next number, someone in the audience yelled out requests for "Thriller" and "Billie Jean." This prompted Joe to joke "You are mistaken, sir.....You can surely tell the difference between me and Michael.....He's much whiter than me......and that's saying something." Joe then introduced the next song "Love At First
Light" as "a little waltz." He also told the audience that "Love At First Light" would be on the new album whose working title is "The Magic Of Lard."

After "Love At First Light," the band took its customary break while Joe played a few songs solo. "Be My Number Two" started the solo set and was followed by a stirring version of "Real Men" which again featured vocal contributions from the crowd. After "Real Men," Joe addressed the audience again saying "You gave me a little chill there...damn." Next was a wonderful cover of Graham Parker's "You Can't Be Too Strong." The solo set concluded with a moving "Hometown."

The band then returned to the stage for "Stranger Than Fiction" from the "Laughter And Lust" CD. Both the driving "Fairy Dust" and the glam rocker "Little Bit Stupid" had the Marquee shaking. The great groove of "Sunday Papers" got the crowd dancing after which a thrashing "Got The Time" closed the set.

An encore of a beautiful "Different For Girls" and a spirited, energetic "I'm The Man" ended the evening on a high note. The enthusiastic crowd, the band's strong playing, and Joe's wonderful singing all combined to make for a magical evening at the Marquee. Among the audience was Joe Strummer of the Clash and Roland Gift of the Fine Young Cannibals. It was also rumored that Mick Jones of the Clash and Big Audio Dynamite was also in attendance, but this has not been confirmed.

One more show to go - tonight in Northampton. The Joe Jackson Band is definitely "warmed up" and if you have the chance, they should not be missed tonight. Check back tomorrow for the report from tonight's show.

Cheers.....

 

Click on an image for a closer view

Set List:
New songs are annotated with "*", Joe solo songs are annotated with "#"

One More Time
Awkward Age *
Take It Like A Man *
Look Sharp!
Chrome *
Thugs 'R' Us *
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
On Your Radio
Love At First Light *
Be My Number Two #
Real Men #
You Can't Be Too Strong # (Graham Parker cover)
Home Town #
Stranger Than You
Fairy Dust *
Little Bit Stupid *
Sunday Papers
Got The Time

Encores

Different For Girls
I'm The Man