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:: Friday, September 22, 2006 ::

Gig Review: JimBob @ The Prom, Bristol, 18.09.06

It seems like the ex-Carter USM front man is on a Dylan style never ending tour. This is the third time I've seen him at the Prom in the last couple of years and a gig at Moles in Bath snuck in earlier this year too.

It feels slightly odd writing this immediately after giving modern indie the slagging I just did in the previous post. So I feel the need to qualify my love of his music here. There is indie music I still follow; most prominently PJ Harvey, John Parish, The Eels, Carter USM offshoots, Pavement offshoots, Bjork, Goldfrapp etc. In like these either because they have a quirky angle on alternative music or because they write brilliant songs.

In JimBob's case, it's the songs. These intimate little acoustic gigs, interspersed with stand-up banter and heckling, present old familiar songs belted out in front of a room full of people who know every word and sing along like drunkards. It's the preservation of folk gatherings, the immediacy, the humour, the never ending stream of puns, the recycling of popular culture, that makes these events to warm the heart.

On this occasion he's dragged along an old sampler and is recreating the little intro clips you remember from the albums, on tracks like Stuff the Jubilee, England, Do Re Me, Sheriff Fatman, Sing Fat Lady Sing, etc. The timing is not so tight and the impact of the start of the song is lost in a kind of shambolic way that still makes me smile.

It's still free entry and Jim digs himself a hole when complaining about the feeble size of the donation jug(s) a young barmaid is carrying around. The die-hard fan in the florescent jacket hasn't turned up this time and his absence is noted. His routine interruptions, falling asleep on the steps and getting thrown out are all missed. Two screeching girls laugh loudly and needlessly throughout the first half and mercifully disappear before the second set. Were they made to disappear?

To have written songs that have entered the public consciousness is an amazing legacy to have. It must feel great to hear a room full of people shouting along with you. It's the audience that really makes these gigs special. As long as there are great songs and talented performers a good evening's entertainment is guaranteed.

:: Dan 22.9.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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