Whether you consider them the blueprint for a maturing punk
band or require a template to inject driving rock into an aspiring country band,
Jason and the Scorchers is still a vivid reminder of how two worlds can
collide for a dramatic effect. Sizzling electricity, flowing humility and fervent
appreciation were just three features to describe their latest visit to the
Musician in Leicester, which proudly displayed the ‘sold out’ board in the run
up to this fabulous Friday night gig. Without the need for a support act on
this occasion, Jason and his latest band of Scorchers flushed out thirty five
years of material over the course of two and a half hours full of energy and
devoid of any of the hindrances of time.
The cemented love between spectacular lead guitarist Warner
E. Hodges and humble frontman Jason Ringenberg was in unrelenting mode as their
chemistry is core to the Scorchers buzz and has been for many years. Warner
effortlessly moves between country and rock licks with stunning effect, while
Jason meets many an insightful musing with oozes of charisma as inspired by the
architects of the post punk new wave era. It was around this time (early eighties),
that the fresh faced Jason bounded into Nashville, Tennessee determined to
break the mould with a new sound. Whether he succeeded is immaterial to the
legions of Scorchers followers over the years, but EMI certainly took an
interest for a couple of the band’s most productive years and many stories
about this era surfaced during the evening.
Jason also remembered the late Scorchers drummer Perry Baggs
who passed away in 2012. It is to the credit of new recruit, Swede Pontus Snibb
that he is also highly rated by the appreciative Jason and adds the diversity
of occasionally stepping forward to swap drum kit for guitar and lead vocals.
For this short tour, regular bassist Al Collins was occupied elsewhere for
shows with his wife Stacie and another Swede, Micke Nilsson stepped up to
valiantly fill the second rhythm slot. As a combo they nailed song after song,
mainly up tempo (as you would expect from a band with their roots), but equally
lower key when Jason deals with classic country on its terms. However his
thumping trademark cover of ‘Lost Highway’
showed how he set the agenda in the eighties for a pioneering sound that, while
aligned with alt-country rock, had that unique new wave feel.
One of the aspects that thrills Jason when he tours the UK
is the immensely positive reception of his 2010 album HALCYON TIMES. He rattled
through half of this release during the show including tracks such as ‘Mona Lee’, ‘Getting Nowhere Fast’ and ‘Better
Than This’. Jason said he was taking a request from himself for the encore
and suitably delivered a fine rendition of ‘Twang
Town Blues’ before the usual raucous finale. While this show was primarily
about the energy of the Scorchers sound, a song that really stood out from the
1983 album FERVOR was ‘Pray for Me Mama
(I’m a Gypsy Now)’, which saw Jason at his country best.
Of course it was the old favourites which oiled some action
into the joints of the Scorchers faithful led by the Dylan fast paced re-work ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie’, the homage to
Parsons and McGuinn ‘Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man’,
the exhilarating ‘I Can’t Help Myself’
and the closing rebel rouser ‘White Lies’.
As at virtually every Scorchers concert, the audience lent a hand to ‘Broken Whiskey Glass’, the band’s
signature tune which explodes mid-song into the most awesome change of pace. While
it personally was a little sad that ‘Shop
it Around’ wasn’t included, the story and playing of ‘Bible and a Gun’ with its Steve Earle origins made for a lauded
replacement, explicitly perfecting one view of the South as perceived by many
afar.
It has been nearly three years since Jason and the Scorchers
last visited The Musician and the anticipated wait added an extra edge to the
show. Local promoters Cheeseweasel deserve praise for continually bringing the
band back to the wider Midlands area and it is fingers crossed for a repeat in
the not too distant future. The final food for thought is perhaps the love
shown towards HALCYON TIMES could add a spark to some new material and Jason
Ringenberg is far too young and talented to slip comfortably into a retro mode,
as much as folks love the old material.
It was the range of songs, explosive style and instant
connection that made tonight special. Definitely a gig of the year candidate and
one that will have many fans buzzing for a lengthy period after the show. Jason
and the Scorchers is quite simply an amazing live band sounding still fresh and
vibrant after all these years.
www.jasonandthescorchers.com