The JD Set – Exile On MainStreet @ OAF, Sydney(15/09/10)

Tue 21st Sep, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Oxford Arts Factory was dressed to impress for Jack Daniels’ 160th birthday celebrations, with lush red drapes replacing the usual wall-to-wall black, and extra lights brought in both for ambiance and for the very practical task of filming the show in its entirety. It made a huge difference to the space, transforming it from a slightly dingy modern club and into something more reminiscent of 60s London – a vibe aided by the many leather couches scattered around the place.

The crowd was an interesting bunch, too – a combination of industry types, some reasonably famous names (such as Murray Cook, better known as the Red Wiggle), and a whole bunch of rusted on Rolling Stones fans trying to out-do each other in a grand game of “Who Has The Oldest Stones’ Tour T-Shirt”.

There was no support act, so it was at about 9:30 that the band walked on stage to rapturous applause, led by Tim Rogers in a pink, crushed velvet jacket. The core band was essentially You Am I, with Cec Condon and Jed Kurzel of The Mess Hall wandering on stage to help out occasionally.

Added to this core group were the rotating lineup of guest vocalists, including Magic Dirt’s Adalita, Jae Laffer of The Panics, Megan Washington, Nic Cester from Jet, legendary session singer Venetta Fields and Sexy Texy himself, Tex Perkins.

This approach was a bit hit-and-miss, with a few of the vocalists put to poor use. Megan Washington had very little to do during Shake Your Hips – which, admittedly, is not a singer’s song – Jae Laffer seemed a little overwhelmed by the occasion, forgetting to plug his acoustic guitar in to an amp three separate times and Adalita was wasted on slower numbers like Tumbling Dice, never getting a chance to do what she does so well, which is growl and snarl and generally kick ass.

But when it worked, it was a treat.

Nic Cester seemed a little bit timid and diminished, which was certainly not helped by needing to read his lyrics from a sheet of paper, but when he got a chance to unleash that voice he was terrific. Towards the end of the show he came out for Let It Loose, and despite starting timidly he did indeed let loose, reminding all present what he is capable of when he doesn’t have to deal with the pallid crap that was Shaka Rock.

Special mention should be given to Nick Barker, who gave it everything he had during All Down The Line and Lovin’ Cup. He has clearly styled himself in the manner of Jimmy Barnes, as a typical Aussie singer with more passion than technique, but certainly did everything he was required to

And Tex Perkins, despite looking a little bit old and tired, came and rocked the shit out of the place even though none of these songs fall in his usual baritone range. Instead he got the chance to croon a bit on Sweet Virginia and rock and roll on Happy before returning at the death to deliver the high point of the night in Ventilator Blues. He and the band nailed the menace and venom in the song, despite his having to read the lyrics from a sheet also. He snarled, and growled, and roared his part, and provided one of the only instances of the singer owning the song.

Before I get too involved in anything else, let me just say how awesome You Am I were. Little Davey Lane was Keef, just without the substance abuse, and absolutely nailed the brash swagger and deft touch throughout the night. He also played a hugely important role as the anchor of the band amidst the endless procession of singers, keeping everything grounded and tight amidst the chaos. Andy Kent and Rusty Hopkinson were an indomitable rhythm section, which is crucial if you’re trying to replicate that connection that Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman have.

And then, of course, there is Tim “National Living Treasure and the walking embodiment of rock and roll” Rogers. Not only is he one of the great frontmen, he seems to be on a mission to become Australia’s premier rock and roll historian – in the last year or so he has taken part in the White Album Concert, as well as tonight’s show and a celebration of Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out earlier this year. But his greatest talent is as a cheeky Master of Ceremonies, talking to the band and the audience, introducing the singers and generally making everybody feel at home during what was quite a disjointed evening.

But despite Tim’s best efforts, the night as a whole fell a little bit flat. I’ve never been of the opinion that Exile On Main St is one of the great albums, and in actual fact find it a little bit bloated and dull at times. This fundamental flaw wasn’t really helped much by the revolving lineup of singers, which was just a little bit messy and disorderly.

I couldn’t help but compare it to the Ya-Yas show, which saw Tim become Mick and completely own the evening. He dominated proceedings with such energy, such swagger and such sweaty intensity that by the end of the gig even the 50- and 60-something were jumping on each other. Plus, the Ya-Yas songs are just a little bit better – Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Midnight Rambler, Sympathy For The Devil, Honky Tonk Women, Street Fighting Man, You Gotta Move, Under My Thumb AND Satisfaction have a bluesy, gritty intensity that simply isn’t there on the more country-influenced Exile tracks.

Overall it was still a fun show, even if it only moved beyond top-notch karaoke on a couple of occasions. You could tell that everyone was there for the love of the album, and it’s always a treat to see Oz rock’s most enduring bromance between Tim and Tex. Ultimately, the night was best summed up by Nick Barker – “how good is this, eh? Free booze and playing Rolling fucking Stones songs with your mates.”

Check out the photos from the gig