Friday 10 October 2014
£20 (+BF)
16+
NUS/Public
Doors: 7.30pm
Club
Don't be fooled by the name. From The Jam are no tribute band. As well as featuring Bruce Foxton, Paul Weller's right hand man from the original Jam, the band include some of the most in-demand musicians around and, since forming in 2007, have morphed into a fully-fledged band in their own right, taking their unique show to both sides of the Atlantic and recently scoring a double-page feature in The Sunday Times.
Originally emerging as part of the punk scene in 1977, The Jam have always offered something a little bit different to the three-chord bursts of angst most often associated with the genre. Perhaps it's the fact that they never quite fitted in with the likes of The Undertones and The Sex Pistols which explains their longevity.
By the time the band first started making waves in the charts, they were already channelling heavy mod influences, updating the style of bands like The Who and The Small Faces, injected with a vitality that was all their own. Debut single In The City showcased the band's energy and brutally politicised lyrics, but also displayed influences from Motown to The Beatles.
The band continued to address social themes throughout their career, but there was a notable shift in the music, with songs starting to take on R'n'B, soul and even funk elements, making The Jam one of the most diverse bands of their kind. Weller called time on the group in 1982 to form The Style Council, but the rest of the band reformed in 2007 and have been touring ever since. After the original split, Foxton surprised fans in 2010 with a guest spot on Weller's 'Wake Up The Nation'. Weller returned the favour last year for Bruce's fantastic 'Back In The Room', and the two remain great friends.
Now helmed by Bruce Foxton, the man who gave tracks such as 'Town Called Malice', 'Down in the Tube Station at Midnight' and 'Going Underground' their distinctive bass lines, alongside the legendary Russell Hastings, now a fantastic frontman in his own right, who has taken audiences by storm with his authentic and passionate interpretation of Weller's songs, From The Jam return to 53 Degrees after a stunning, packed-out gig earlier this year that had the whole room dancing.