This sold out show was the launch for JETTBLACK'S second album on Spinefarm Records, Raining Rock, and as a band that we have seen several times over the last 4 years or so as a support act, it was also the first time I've seen them headline as they are finally ready to graduate to becoming a much bigger band.
We got in late enough to have missed all but the last 3 songs of the main support band MEAN STEED. At times it was hard to say if they are serious or just a joke in a kind of Steel Panther/Spinal Tap way as they touch at every metal cliche you could wish for while riffing and rocking as hard and fast and tight as you like. They remind me of AC/DC meets Judas Priest with bits of the Runaways and Iron Maiden thrown into the mix and the high spot of what we saw was the last song (Stand And Deliver) that saw the very hyper singer and guitarist take his solo into the audience and then onto the bar where he tried to re-enact Michael J. Fox doing a Chuck Berry Duckwalk in Back to the Future along the bar while being unable to stand up straight as the ceiling was in the way. It was very funny and almost cool.
They would be perfect early afternoon at a festival type band that gets everyone going.
Soon enough Jettblack were on to begin Raining Rock onto us even if they claimed they were Giving It Away on the first song and the shock for me was how up for it the crowd were and the fact they knew all the words. This is good to see as they are really tight now with the twin guitars and vocals working well throughout the set. Inbetween Lovers they might be but it makes for a great song and it had a kicking solo in it.
Get Your Hands Dirty was greeted like an old hit, which for many fans it already is. Will and John traded vocals and licks consistently through the song. They then asked the question about the Prisoner Of Love as in who of this band would you want to hold you Prisoner? Not sure personally, you may have to ask the ladies present for that one. They may answer that they need some Sexy Sabotage and see the relationship flounder as they can't stay with the one partner. Yes all the songs are about sex and how things go wrong or right...usually wrong.
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Keep me Away and Save Your Soul keep that up even if I don't have the right titles. They rocked like hell and had the place going nuts and I'm sure when they sang Can You Feel the Love many of the women could indeed feel it and the blokes wanted to. They finished the main set with Two Hot Girls which has been a live favourite for some time and a great closing number.
Soon enough they were back for a well earned encore that began with the title track of the new album that wasn't for sale at it's launch gig??! Still, Raining Rock sounded great and worked really well next to Slip It On that followed it. They then did the only slow song of the night (War Between Us) that is about as sensitive as they get. They fnished up with a great version of Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone, thankfully upping the metal in it and damping down the mullet tendencies of the song. A good end to a decent gig. They'll be well worth catching on their first headlining tour later in the year.
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