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Review: 'Jetboy and Last Great Dreamers'
'Live at The Underworld Camden'   


-  Genre: 'Rock' -  Release Date: '2.9.18.'

Our Rating:
In keeping with the current trend for legendary or semi legendary bands who've been around for 30 or so years finally playing their first or second ever London Gig it is Finally time for Jetboy's first ever London show. They are the band who lost the race to be the next big Metal band of the late 80's early 90's to Guns and Roses back in the day and the first albums delays meant it came out in the middle of Grunge when glam sleaze was last year's thing sadly. That may also explain why only about 50 of us have shown up to see them.

I only had songs on compilation tapes until I found the Lost & Found cd in Finland about 11 years ago and I have one later album but really wanted to hear if they live up to the legend but first it's time to see one of the best support acts around at the moment Last Great Dreamers for the first time in what 16 days since they blew The Tearaways off the stage at the oh so polite Nell's Jazz and Blues.

Last Great Dreamers played pretty much the same set as a couple of weeks ago only much louder and dirtier as the sound in The Underworld is perfect for the ban to swagger through New Situations with a lot more power behind them.

These 13th Floor Renegades are trying to get back up there from this dark basement at a hell of a pace and making sure we knew it was a proper Glam show they sprayed us with Glam on Glitterball Apocalypse that as usual is followed by a great romp through The Way We Collide with Slyder and Marc battling with their guitars as they moved all over the stage that as Jetboy would be using their gear had plenty of room on it for them to bring the songs to life.

They get properly angsty on I've Been Framed and well it's the sort of thing that happened hanging out in Camden in the 90's when it was about. The angst continues on Message You a 100 Times that is good and frenetic like anyone begging and pleading for an answer that's not coming with that great powerpop glam chorus it sounds great.

They may have well dedicated White Light (Black Heart) to The Black Heart across the road from the Underworld where they are playing in December but instead got us all to sing along to the chorus and despite the sparse audience got a good response as it went down really well.

No Sunshine was perfect for the black room we were in as they got all amped up about all sorts on I Think I Like It almost like they have the Camden menu in front of them and are going to dip in and become Oblivion Kids once more like they were when they lived down the road from Camden.

They just about had time left to take us all back to Dope School with its salutary lessons and tales of living the life of a Primitive Man that closed the set as it often does with lots more balls and great power pop chorus that we can all shout along with to close another great fun set from Last Great Dreamers whose current tour runs till December on and off so go and see them if you can.

After the break it was time for the current line-up of Jetboy that featured 3 original members in Singer Mikey Finn and Guitarists Billy Rowe and Fernie Rod alongside current drummer Al Serrato and for the UK tour only as super sub on Bass Rob Lane who apparently had just 3 days to learn the set to become the latest bassist to fill Sami Yaffa's shoes. Yes they have less hair and make-up these days but still look damn cool.

They opened with Locked In A Cage a full on rock monster about wanting to be set free with some great ballsy guitar from Fernie on his Flying V even if he did remind me all night of watching Doyley from the Kingonz etc as he could almost be a long lost brother both in how he moves while playing and the faces he pulls too.

After Mickey had told us how happy they were to finally being London and telling us we would be getting several new songs off the next album due out in January they blew through Moonlight while sounding good and sleazy in all the right ways and as with all good glam sleaze band they have a few songs about Partying and Party Time was as much fun as it should be as Billy got that riff going and we all got on down.

Mickey then told us the next song was dedicated to all our ex's and how they are all Evil, well having spent the time between bands talking to one of my Ex's and her bloke I would kind of disagree as Jocelyn was never that evil but I digress and the song itself was as bitter and twisted as it needed to be with the band looking like they were having a great time.

I think Broken Hearted Daydream that followed was one of the new songs it doesn't matter as it was a cool rocker but not the monumental ballad a song with that title ought to be and sadly not my favourite Jetboy ballad Live and Die In A Day still that will have to wait till they return!

Mickey Introduced the next song as being about Drinking Whisky All Night and it's as booze drenched a sleazy rocker as it should be. The Really cool Bullfrog Pond was about the first time Mickey smoked some weed and had to that point been without a smoke for the UK tour something that I'm sure got rectified after the gig. It did have a slightly stoned feel to the breakdown as the band horsed around a little bit.

Born To Fly was played like the Jet engines had kicked in properly and they were well high on being over to play for us and I'm happy that the solo's they played were all nice and short. It was soon time for them to be cruising in a Heavy Chevy that barreled through like they were on a freeway somewhere.

With lyrics to show how glad they are to still be around new song Beating The Odds gives due thanks for the fact that they are still around in a great song that reminded me a bit of Blue Period or The Sea Hags.

Of course they closed with the band's biggest hit Feel The Shake off of the first album and a song I think I have on a compilation somewhere, either way it was a great sing along to finish the set with and leave us wanting a little more.

They came back for what Mickey told us was the first encore of the tour and they rampaged through Folsom Prison Blues at Motorhead like speed it was a great way to finish a really good show.

The band came out and met everyone afterwards and were really cool although I might have not been as excited to see them as I was to see Dramarama a couple of weeks ago it was still great to be able to go and see them.
  author: simonovitch

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