Playlouder - Music is the Network

Growing up in Germany it was hard to avoid Joe Jackson. Steppin' Out, It's Different For Girls and Is She Really Going Out With Him? could be heard plenty on the radio during the 80s and they would always be a welcome antidote to the morose Schlager hits of the time. Admittedly, I grew out of liking Jackson in my teens but my moving to Walthamstow made us reconnect - A large majority of his albums can be found in the 50p sections of any good charity shop in the area so it was time to invest and re-investigate. It emerged that from a grown up point of view the early material really is the best, the stuff he recorded with his band, the Joe Jackson Band, which would merely last three long-players, recorded in the short span from 1979 and 1980 before the band called it a day. The group came back some 23 years later with a fourth long-player and album number 5, entitled Rain which tonight's performance is in support of.
 
Taking place at a completely sold-out Shepherds Bush Empire, the band (now a three-piece minus guitarist Gary Sanford) emerge on a dimly lit stage. A gangly, white-haired Jackson, looking much younger than his 53 years of age walks on wearing a dapper olive-coloured suit and sits down behind his grand-piano which takes up a big chunk of the stage. Casually dressed David Houghton (drums) and Graham Maby (bass) appear and the trio kick into Steppin' Out which starts off a bit shaky what with Joe Jackson's in-ear monitor not working. Having said that it's the tightest sound problems I've ever come across: Not marred by any broken notes Jackson improvises some of the lyrics and piano chords and always makes sure to somehow find his way back to the song whilst making gestures at the monitor guy to crank it the hell up. Invisible Man and Too Tough from the new album Rain are next, two pretty timeless sounding tracks that could easily have been taken from one of his earlier records. Then the band treats us to a rare outing of Chinatown from Night And Day, probably the most obscure track on that album, with its eastern tinged chord progressions. Apart from the Joe Jackson back-catalogue, the band decide to play two cover versions tonight, the first of which is Knowing Me, Knowing You by Abba. Obviously it's not the coolest of songs but due to Joe's impeccable knowledge of the piano and Graham Maby's and Dave Houghton's superb rhythm section, the song removes itself from its hen-night and karaoke connotations and actually sounds good. At this stage the band have properly warmed up and treat us to what Joe remarks to be a very old song, One More Time from Look Sharp!. One More Time is the most up-beat number of the evening so far and the crowd respond accordingly. Next up comes 'wrist-slasher', Solo (So Low), for which the rhythm section leaves the stage. Taken from the new album, Solo (So Low) is the kind of song that would usually cut a gig's atmosphere in half by simply appearing way too downbeat and depressing but instead of a mass exodus to the bar Jackson entrances the audience with an emotion laden rendition of the tune. This is one of the key's to Joe's success tonight, the ability draw in the crowd through the passion he channels through his songs (sounds cheesy, I know but it's true). 

The next number is pretty much the polar opposite of the last song. Rush Across The Road, also from Rain, is an ode to life and to the coincidence / fate of meeting somebody at a given moment in time. It goes down well but it's one of Joe's smaltzier numbers so I'm pleased to hear Mr Jackson introduce 'cover version du jour number two', Bowie's Scary Monsters And Super Creeps straight after. Next up is one of my all-time favourites from the man, It's Different For Girls which the band deliver impeccably. After a few more tracks from Rain and a number from Volume 4, Jackson and band leave the stage only to be called back by a rapturous applause from a very appreciative crowd. For the encore we get treated to the classic with the possibly longest title in pop history, You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want) which is played in a percussive samba style with Jackson using shakers for the chorus. Because of Joe's impeccable pipes, it's easy to follow the melody and the song builds up beautifully - for the last chorus, Jackson brings in the instantly recognisable lead melody on the piano and sends goose-bumps through the audience. A strong contender follows - Is She Really Going Out With Him? sounds amazing and is arguably the best tune the Joe Jackson Band have ever written. The crowd sings along and it's hard to know how Jackson will top this song. But he knows just what to play - Maby and Houghton walk off to rapturous applause and an emotional version of the beautiful A Slow Song blends out the evening nicely. Jackson gets a deserved standing ovation and we're on our way, humming a concoction of Jackson melodies on our way back east.