On the 21st, I probably witnessed the gig of the year. My right ear hasn’t recovered yet. Jim Jones And The Righteous Mind, plus many guests, put on a dazzling and deafening performance for their sold out ‘Collectiv’ album launch at the 100 Club. Apologies for anyone that I forget…

Support was provided by rockin’ duo, Trixie And The Trainwrecks. With Trixie on distorted acoustic guitar, vocals and percussion, and Charlie on blues harp, they were an ideal start to the evening’s proceedings and made new friends in the capacity crowd.

With ‘Collectiv’, JJATRM have really found their groove. They’ve honed the sound that they began on ‘Super Natural’, and consequently, the likes of ‘Heavy Lounge’ and ‘No Fool’ seem more cohesive when played live. But, tonight, they open with the mighty slab that is ‘Sex Robot’, and there’s no doubt that we’re in the presence of something special. Jim Jones has been treading his own path for decades now, and with this line-up, he’s hit the jackpot. Which, given his past collaborators, is high praise.

This is not a night for subtleties, so the quieter songs are mainly absent. It’s a full-on sonic attack, with ‘Satan’s Got..’ as the new classic. The new songs are, for me, eagerly anticipated, as the album’s been on repeat. ‘Attack Of The Killer Brainz’ and ‘Shazam’ are amazing, and ‘I Found A Love’ reaches new heights with Soul Sister Cookie adding her sweet vocals.

Other guests included Paul-Ronney Angel and Luci Fire of The Urban Voodoo Machine, Barrie Cadogan, Alan Clayton of The Dirty Strangers, and….

….the reappearance of Revue men Nick Jones and Elliott Mortimer for the encore of ‘Rock n Roll Psychosis’ and ‘512’, playing like men possessed. So, when I say you should have been here, I really mean it. Luckily for you, JJATRM are playing more dates later in the year. Do not miss out. Rock n roll simply doesn’t get better than this.

Author: Martin Chamarette