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JADED SUN, The Cuckoo Club, London 9 April 2009

It seems that Ireland has become the international capital of the classic rock revival movement. In the footsteps of the Answer and Glyder, Jaded Sun promise to be the latest band to make an impact. Some excellent reviews, including at getreadytorock towers, fired up my curiosity, though I finally got to see them in unusual circumstances, as they hit the stage at nearly midnight in a funky private club in London.

For the first time ever in 25 years of gigging, I fell foul of a dress code with my trainers and had to be escorted into the venue by their record label rep.

It was worth it though as I was highly impressed with their lean, taut sound which respects the best of the golden age of classic bluesy rock from the late sixties and early seventies, but gives it a more youthful freshness.

In many respects they are doing what the likes of Thunder and the Black Crowes did to the genre nearly 20 years ago.

Opening with the slightly AC/DC esque boogie of Breaking Through, the set had good variety to it; from hard-hitting numbers like Can’t Stop and Higher to Crave, a classy ballad with a definite Black Crowes/Quireboys feel to it.

Despite his slight physique, singer John Maher has an impressive set of pipes, She’s Got Class allowing him to stretch them over a slightly funky groove, while Positive climaxed in a guitar jam between the well-matched pairing of Eorann Stafford and Sean Gosker.

Covers of Stay With Me and Gimme Some Lovin’ give you a good idea of the band’s influences, and got the late night crowd dancing.  I left mightily impressed, and hoping that they get the chance to hone their stage craft in rather more rock’n’roll surroundings than this one and win the new friends that they deserve.


Review by Andy Nathan