Click Click: From The Jam @ Birchmere
A few commenters yesterday basically said "No Weller? No Way" at the prospect of going to see From The Jam at the Birchmere last night, and rightfully so. Since forming some 30-odd years ago, frontman Paul Weller has been The Jam in most people's minds, even after he disbanded the group in the early 1980s, formed the universally reviled Style Council and later transitioned into his groundbreaking solo career that laid the groundwork for Britpop and delivered albums like Stanley Road and Wild Wood. One need only look at the Gallagher brothers from Oasis to see how large a shadow Weller casts. They invited him to play guitar on "The Swamp Song" and "Champagne Supernova", and while Noel takes all his couture cues from his mentor, Liam continually copies the Modfather's haircuts. So as his presence in the music industry continued to grow, Weller's original rhythm section, bassist Bruce Foxton or drummer Rick Buckler, risked fading into obscurity.
So by finding a new frontman and adding an extra guitarist in order to go out and play the songs their fans want to hear, Foxton and Buckler are behind the eight ball even before they've stepped foot on stage. But it's not as if Foxton or Buckler didn't have anything to do with The Jam's success: far from it in fact. Foxton, for instance, wrote a few tunes himself, including "Smithers-Jones" and "News of the World", while also singing the group's cover of The Kinks' "David Watts". And as last night's scorcher of a show proved, this group is both bringing their collection of mod classics to a new generation of fans, and giving their original fans a reason the get out of the house on a Monday night.
Photos by Kyle Gustafson.
Opening their set with the classic riff from "In The City", what followed was a well rehearsed and spot-on batch of songs that I, for one, didn't ever think I would have the pleasure of hearing. Despite being in their 50s, both Buckler and Foxton looked great and were having it large. Foxton suited up in his Mod-era best - slim black trousers, a checkerboard button up shirt and grey sport coat with spotless white shoes. He sang with abandon and bounded around the stage all through the show, unleashing a few jumping scissor kicks for good measure. Buckler was his understated best behind the kit, masterful at keeping the beat and delivering a cracking cymbal crash whenever needed. He's the Phil Selway of his day, if you will.
Russell Hastings, the stand in for Weller, was a fine replacement for the band's iconic frontman. His delivery and accent were spot on and if you closed your eyes during the set, you'd have never known it wasn't Weller up there belting out "Strange Town." Dave Moore mostly stood off to the side of the stage, adding back-up guitar and keyboards when needed and singing the occasional back up vocal.
The set touched on all points of the band's career and was chock full of hits like "Down In The Tube Station at Midnight", "Start!" and "When You're Young", while also including popular album cuts like "Ghosts" and "Butterfly Collector". It's safe to say there was something for both the casual fan and those who have worn out Direction, Reaction, Creation.
Nostalgia-filled reunions are a dicey proposition. You have to be prepared for the possibility that an opportunity to relive past glories instead might show you that age and irrelevance catches up with everyone sooner or later. Last night I took that chance and was rewarded with one of the best shows I'll likely see all year. Hastings remarked that the band would likely be back in the States in October, so anyone that missed their chance to take a look into the past and see one of the punk-era's finest acts will get a chance to right that wrong later this year. You had best take advantage.