Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Saturday May 25, 2013 :
From the moment I set foot in the Cambridge Hotel on Saturday night I thought I had gone back in time to a place where slicked hair and pointy shoes were the cutting edge of fashion. Rockabilly or what is better known to fans as “psychobilly” was back in town. This was not the first time I had witnessed such a crowd. Last year I had the pleasure of covering Brian Setzer as he made his pilgrimage to Newcastle. The crowd that night was wild and on this Saturday night it was out in force yet again. I am not sure where these people come but what I can tell you is their style is colorful, fast paced and from my perspective slick with a heavy dose of hair envy.
For me the evening kicked off with the powerful voice of Mojo Juju. Dressed in a suit, hat and cigar box guitar, Juju fronted a tight four piece outfit complete with a double bass and drums. I have seen Mojo Juju before and on that occasion I spent the majority of the gig trying to work out just where she fits in – is it jazz?, is it soul? Or is it funk? On this occasion I simply listened to the music and I will tell you what it is, its fantastic.
Juju’s set consisted of a clever mix of originals promoting her new self-titled album delivering music with an atmosphere full of drama with vocal precision. Favorites for me included ‘Horse Named Regret’ and ‘Must be Desire’ from her-self titled album, one I will definitely be adding to my collection. After leaving the stage one thing was certain, Juju had raised the bar as a support artist and to be honest I could have listened to her all evening and left satisfied.
Newcastle should be proud to have an artist of this calibre on their doorsteps. Perhaps the final word on this artist is best summed up by herself. “Mojo Juju sings songs that sound just like that night you can’t quite remember, in that bar you swear you weren’t at, with that girl you promise you’ve never met.”
After the mandatory break, the Reverend Horton Heat fronted by guitarist Jim Heath took the stage sharing the front with long time band member “Jimbo” Wallace. The loud and energetically high-octane gentlemen of the rockabilly roots cut loose from the first note. Drawing on a back catalogue of ten albums, they opening with the hit ‘Psychobilly Freakout’ from the 1990’s album Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em. The band promptly moved into ‘Lonesome Train’ and ‘Badest of the Bad or Wildest’.
At times throughout the night, the good Reverend interrupted his sermon with stories of sex, drugs, booze and cars, and it was obvious the audience was paying attention. A lot of these band’s songs are heavily associated with the above and that was obvious during the set. Songs like ‘It’s Martini Time’ and ‘Jimbo’s Song’ almost had you making a “B” line for the bar. The song ‘Drinkin’ and Smokin” lead into a killer version of ‘Johnny B Goode’ which not only featured the talents of Heath but also Wallace. The nineteen set song list culminated with the number ‘The Devil’s Chasin’ Me’ from the 1987 compilation album, The Sound of Deep Ellum.
When leaving the venue I was listening to the vibe of the crowd and wondering. Given these rockabilly superstars come to Newcastle, but once a year where do these people go in between? Surely the colour and class of the clothes, the shoes and let’s not forget the hair deserve more than a once a year take out. Perhaps Newcastle has an underground rockabilly following? If so I am there. I really would like to see these guys in action more than a once a year event.
Tonight left me with no doubt Jim Heath is an exceptional guitarist. This was evidenced by a master class he delivered to his disciples not only on music but also on how to be a true rockabilly pioneer.
Reviewer and Photographer: David Jackson
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