What: From The Jam

Where: The Palace, Aldershot

When: Friday 30th April, 2010

I pondered in a previous review (The Pretenders) how many members made A group, THE group and not a tribute band. Tonight the question once again rears its ugly head as the only member left from “The Jam” in “From the Jam” is the bassist Bruce Foxton. I had come to the conclusion previously that the main singer and song writer was really at the heart of the band and it wouldn’t have mattered who had been on stage with Chrissie Hynde, it would still have been The Pretenders.

Tonight I had to reset that view as there was no Paul Weller. Instead we had Bassist Bruce Foxton encapsulating all that the Jam represented. He was very ably supported by Mark Brzezicki (Big Country) on drums and Russell Hastings (The Gift) on guitar and vocals.

The Foxton leap was as synonymous with The Jam as Paul Weller’s Rickenbacker guitar. The driving yet melodic bass lines Foxton laid down in tracks such as Eaton Rifles, Tube Station and Start really set the Jam apart. Yes Paul Weller had some great lyrics, however without the solid rhythm section of Foxton and Buckler he would certainly have not had the springboard that made the rest of his career as a solo artist.

Could From The Jam recreate what The Jam had at the height of their success? After tonight I would have to say a resounding yes. I saw The Jam at their peak and tonight’s gig was almost as good. It would have been impossible to think that the current line up could have produced the sheer energy that came at you from the stage via the three original members however if you thought that age would bring dull senility you’d be very sadly mistaken.

Hastings, without trying to be Paul Weller, sounds very much like him. Uncannily so if you watch from a distance. The band were tight as they delivered a constant stream of Jam “Best Of” tracks. The Jam in their prime was a rare beast, a threesome who could make a sound so solid it would blow your socks off. Tonight’s threesome produced a similar performance all the way through the gig. Weller’s sometimes raucous shouting delivery was replaced by a more subtle yet just as effective performance by Hastings.

Paul Weller was known as the song writer in The Jam but to say that would be to overlook Bruce Foxton’s obvious talent. If people needed a reminder there were cracking renditions tonight of the Foxton penned Smithers-Jones and News of the World. The audience certainly didn’t look like they were missing Messers Weller and Buckler tonight. Its rare to have a new music venue opening and The Palace venue in Aldershot looks like being a great addition to the options for live venues in the area. It’s just the right size for some of the best up and coming bands to play at. Let’s hope they keep up the standard - it looks like they will as acts scheduled to appear in the next few months include The Blockheads, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Wheatus.