A fantastic night to celebrate the great Bruce Foxton on his last ever tour with From the Jam.
‘From the Jam’ is so called because it was formed by original members of The Jam, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. Since 2009 when Rick Buckler left, Bruce Foxton has been performing with From the Jam alongside Russell Hastings and Mike Randon, but this is his final tour before he leaves the band due to health issues. Undeniably, this means it is a special event for all his fans.
Bruce didn’t appear on stage until forty minutes into the show, raising some concern amongst the audience in light of the news on his health. Russell and Mike, along with a stand-in bassist, kept the fans dancing until Bruce made his entrance, at which point there were cheers and chants of his name throughout the room with so many people delighted to see him. This show of support continued throughout the whole gig. There was of course also a tribute to the late Rick Buckler, who died only this year. They both spoke about him and had a large image of his face as the backdrop.
It was a sell-out show, so the Boiler Shop was packed. It was the sort of room where as a small person unless you get to right at the front, it’s quite hard to see anything, but the music provided an electric atmosphere. Everyone was having a great time, and even if you don’t know much of the music there will certainly be songs you recognise. Their hits include ‘Town Called Malice’, ‘Down at the Tube Station at Midnight’ and ‘Going Underground’, but I also enjoyed ones I hadn’t heard before including ‘Lula’: a From the Jam original. The band played brilliantly, with the musicians as tight as ever and Russel Hastings sounding remarkably like Paul Weller.
The support act was ‘London Calling’, a ‘The Clash’ tribute band. A good choice, since I imagine the two bands have many mutual fans. Their songs included ‘I Fought the Law’ and ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’. They were very authentic and got the audience going before the main event began.
The demographic were mainly people over 50 as was expected, but I also enjoyed it and could appreciate how important this event was for all their long-time fans.
Agree with nearly everything you said save for one point. I don’t agree that Russell sounds anything like PW…he lacks the passion and aggressive snarl of Weller’s live vocal. He’s a decent vocalist though in his own right.
It was really sad to see Bruce unable to play the full gig – I counted 9 songs. But at his age and after his operation he’s clearly still in recovery. Let’s hope he enjoys his well earned retirement. It makes me really appreciate that Weller still managed 29 songs on his set at the Globe in Stockton last year…and long may he keep going.
Cheers for the review.
Probably worth making it clear that the photo at the top of the review *definitely* wasn’t taken on the night you reviewed! I think Bruce’s hi-jumpin’ days are behind him.
You’re right, though – great gig, great venue (I’m from Newcastle but live in W Yorks and hadn’t been before); it was filled with a very specific demographic! I didn’t really fit in because I have hair.
Good to hear a positive and honest review from someone who clearly wasn’t a teen during The Clash/Jam’s reign of supremacy. Nice one!
This picture was from Martletts Hall 28.03.15, I know because I took it, kindly credit the photographer when you use their images. Derek D’Souza
Thank you for flagging the origins of this photo – we’ve immediately added in your credits. We always try and credit accordingly so appreciate you flagging this one for us.