A Very Pleasant Surprise Gig

Last Sunday, a work colleague celebrated his fiftieth birthday and to celebrate he treated a number of us to tickets to see The Jam tribute band, From the Jam. Since I didn’t really get into them until the mid to late 90s, I accepted the invitation. I wasn’t disappointed. Unlike every other tribute band in the world, this particular one had something different, one of the former members of the band they paid tribute to was in the band; the member in question was none other than bassist Bruce Foxton. Unfortunately, because Paul Weller was not among them, they have to call themselves a tribute band.

Bruce Foxton

Before I go into what a great night it was, let me start at the beginning. Supporting From the Jam was a band from Gloucester called The Cue and here lies my first regret. While I took photos of the night, the cell phone passed onto me from my step son for some reason doesn’t let me upload them onto any computer. It’s like the computer doesn’t recognise it. Furthermore, they do have a page on Facebook but I can’t seem to find it. That is why I haven’t posted a picture of them but I can tell you that they were good. Their music was based on the same late 7os punk that the band they were supporting would be playing. Therefore, they were an excellent prelude to the main event.

From The Jam

From the Jam dominated the evening from the second they hit the stage to the very second they left it for good after finishing with their most well known hit, “A Town Called Malice.” They played practically all of the best known material, strategically spacing out two of The Jam’s other two best known songs, (at least to me), “Eton Rifles” and “Going Underground” so that the capacity crowd kept interest. Several songs from Foxton’s solo album were also treated to and loved by the audience. It was amusing seeing so many people my age, many of them former punks all bobbing away to them. I know my colleague certainly enjoyed his big five- oh. The only problem for me was remembering that The Jam weren’t heavy metal and had to keep a lid on the temptation to flash the horns into the air. However, the most fascinating aspect was the energy of Bruce Foxton himself, a man who has to be in his late fifties. He didn’t slow down for a single moment.

For my UK readers, if From the Jam, ever come to your area, go see them. Even if you weren’t a fan of The Jam back in the day, seeing these guys will make you rethink your stance. If you’re too young to remember them, you will be wanting to study ancient history.

Next post: Gillan- Double Trouble

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