Jerry Leger & The Situation plus Tom Blackwell
The Jumpin’ Hot Club
The Cluny
Newcastle
Thursday 23rd May 2024
After seeing Jerry Leger twice previously in the quaintly bijou Old Launderette in Durham City, it was a pleasure to see him in the larger Cluny II on his first gig in Newcastle, courtesy of The Jumpin’ Hot Club.
Opening proceedings just like the Durham gigs, was Tom Blackwell who is not just a friend of Leger’s but the club itself, as he’s played it a couple of times recently.
As usual, Blackwell didn’t introduce himself after selecting a harmonica from the dozen or so on a nearside table. For the uninitiated, the tall and gangly Tom Blackwell comes from Merseyside and now lives in Stockton on Tees, about thirty miles down the road from the venue, he has a mop of black curly hair that, alongside the way he dresses makes him look like an Indie Popstar, but his voice and style are straight outta Greenwich Village circa 1964-66.
With songs like Tom Trouble and Hopelessly In Search of Slumber which were noisily received by the audience; I’m surprised Blackwell hasn’t been picked up by the College kids … he’s right up their street in my opinion as he seamlessly glides from angsty artist to romantic poet and back again with consummate ease, while inhabiting each and every song and character.
I was pleased to see Tom in animated conversation with several people at the break, all of whom left with CD’s and/or LP’s in their midst.
When the lights went down we were regaled with The Platters crooning My Prayer as Jerry Leger and The Situation waited to come on and as the last notes wafted away they entered to whoops and applause from the enlarged audience; many seeing them for the first time.
I think it’s fair to say that this band are the smartest and coolest dressed band I’ve seen in many years; especially Leger himself.
The moody Sort Me Out opened the set and when it finished Leger announced that he was so proud of his latest album Donlands that they would be playing it from start to finish … in order. This seemed to confuse a couple of people around me; but made perfect sense as it has an Alt, Country-Noir ‘feel’ to it and the songs vicariously link into each other, without it being remotely a ‘concept album.’
So, that song was followed by I Was Wrong To Doubt Her which cranked up the tempo and tension somewhat, as it could easily be the theme to a remake of a Robert Mitchum film; and the way the audience responded they seemed to think so too … or at least they noisily liked it.
The ice was broken now and the mood set for a night of leftfield Alt. Country or Canadiacana of the finest hue.
During this part of the evening their were some very special versions of the DONLANDS’ songs, not least You Were The Flowers and I Was The Dirt, where Alan Zemaitis reminded me of Garth Hudson on his Hammond keyboard (not for the last time either). Another was the acoustic and pathos drenched I Need Love which not just had a hint of the Everly Brothers about it; but was introduced by a fabulous story about his father finding one of his mother’s 45rpm singles which her brother had lost in the 1960’s, only a couple of years ago and she recognised her name written on it!
But, and this is a surprise to anyone who read my album review; but the taught and occasionally disturbing Slow Night In Nowhere Town was stunning after being ever so slightly re-arranged; and received a full five stars in my notes.
With over 20 minutes left Leger and band kicked up a ruckus with a bunch of older songs plus one unrecorded newbie, some I recognised … others not; and as Leger rarely introduced anything, I can’t tell you what was included … but it was fun, fun, fun!
The evening closed with one of my favourite songs of theirs; Factory Made from 2014’s EARLY RISER and very nearly brought the house down, before a large queue quickly appeared at the merch desk.
Alan H
The Rocking Magpie 