High Voltage Presentations - Manchester Roadhouse - 5.2.05
The Mystery Jets
"There aren't enough colanders in music nowadays" utters the wag next to me, as he comments on the miscellaneous "instruments" on the stage. Even more intriguing could be the question "How do you tune a metal can?", for indeed there is such an implement alongside the colanders
Floppy haired front man Blaine Harrison, sits at the front, surrounded by bewildering array of what could only be loosely termed musical instruments, but belie the beguiling, lush and sweet cacophony that is ultimately perfumed tonight.
Glorious harmonies abound, delicacy mixing with intensity, proving that the final output is far greater that the sum of the constituents
"Help me separate courage from fear" espouses Blaine, showing that the band are capable of mixing lyrical acuity with supremely likeable, and instantly catchy stompers
No doubt much will be made of the father-son axis (Blaine's father Henry
is on guitar), perhaps the most relevant point being the access to a diverse
back catalogue that includes the likes of King Crimson, Mozart and the
Kinks. With Blaine using his skills on the colander and keyboards,
it can at times seem like early Roxy Music ("in Every dream home a heartbreak")
as
the slow start builds up into a crushing intensity.
At times, they almost seem to play with sounds, especially when they generate a bass note that sets up a standing wave inside the compact Roadhouse, and their obvious enjoyment is infectious.
They could become Blackpool's most famous export since Stanley Mathews
Words & Photos: Ged Camera www.camera1.free-online.co.uk
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