Well I’ve been to thousands of live shows in some strange off-the-beaten paths and some most untraditional venues as well but tonight I find myself in Old London Town at the basement of Pizza Express for a full band Gene Loves Jezebel acoustic show. I like pizza I’m happy to sit at the table (I think) and take in an evening like no other.

Waiter two beers please and a pizza with pineapple (only joking about the pineapple obviously I’m not an animal) as we find our table and order some food and drinks in a very laid-back environment we await to band of Jay Aston, James Stevenson, Chris Bell and Peter Rizzo to take to the stage for what promises to be a very interesting and intimate experience. As the band take the stage it still feels a bit weird watching a rock n roll band in a jazz club/restaurant but hey I guess we’re all of a certain age these days and it’ll be rattle your jewellery rather than pogo and press against the stage these days.

A beaming Jay introduces the band to what might be a wonderful triumph or a brilliant catastrophe who knows either way we’ll all have been fed before bed looking around I don’t think it being a School night really matters to this audience never the less Chris counts in the band as we get underway for the first half. Promising some songs from the deep vaults and never before played to reimagined classics so I make myself comfortable sit back relax and float downstream let the music begin.

After a false start due to the (cough cough) over-rehearsed and always ready Jay forgets or needing the lyrics for ‘Lone Rider’ and goes to play ‘Love Keeps Dragging Me Down’ before deciding to hell with it its live and going back to the set list to open with ‘Lone Rider’ before the awesome ‘Love Keeps Dragging’ it was a wonderful pin drop moment as ‘How Do You say Goodbye’. As the evening settles in we are treated to a cover of ‘Inbetween Days’ that has James showcasing his wonderful touch and a fantastic interpretation of an already great song.

Jay is in a playful mood shuffling through half a dozen lyric sheets about fifty times seemingly unable to find the song he wants anyway it is familiar fan favourites of ‘Kick’ and ‘Georgious’ that go down really well. The first set is edging to a close but before halftime oranges and rub down its ‘Dancing Underwater’ off the album of the same name but not before James took lead vocals on the emotional ‘The Other Side Of The World’ which was one of those live show moments. the emotion of the lyrics and what it clearly meant to James was laid bare for all to see and the fragilities of the melody and delivery was genuinely a cwtch moment and one that wasn’t lost on everyone in attendance. Spectacular heartfelt stuff.

The second half gets underway with a rousing ‘Jealous’. ‘Who Wants To Go To Heaven’ and that tune ‘The Motion Of Love’ has them dancing at their tables as ‘Liquor Man’ continues to keep people smiling and the night has magic in the air along with Jays quips and tomfoolery ‘Every Door’ is played before ‘Break The Chains’ and Jay introduces the band before they prepare to leave the stage after a wonderful evening of song in the most unexpected of places but if the music is good enough it can happen anywhere any time any place and tonight Pizza Express could only have been topped had Prince Andrew walked round the tables handing out the bills. ‘Desire’ is the final curtain call and we’re done. It’s back to West Wales but not until we wander through the quieter streets of Soho and have a cheeky pint in the Ship Inn for old time’s sake. Until next time Gene Loves Jezebel delivered a Michelin star performance with a gentler acoustic hand. Full electric next time please gents.

Author: Dom Daley