Danko Jones - Manchester Academy 21st April 2006 & Bar Academy Birmingham 23rd April 2003
Setlist: I'm Alive And On Fire / Sticky Situation / Forget My Name / Sugar Chocolate / First Date / Way To My Heart / Wait A Minute / Don't Fall In Love / Baby Hates Me / Invisible / The Cross / The Finger / Play The Blues / Mango Kid / She's Drugs / Lovercall / Sleep Is The Enemy / Love Is Unkind // Mountain
Oh my Me! Going to see Danko Jones at a venue close to home, rather than 4000 miles away? What a novelty. I make it a rule to see this band in my home country every couple of years, just to prevent the natural order of things coming crashing down, donchaknow. The last time I saw them was in Philadelphia. A few months before that, it had been Boston; before that, Download 04 at Donington. This time, it was a relatively short 30 mile jaunt up the A34 to the Manchester Academy, my local venue, as it happens.
Oh my Me! Going to see Danko Jones at a venue close to home, rather than 4000 miles away? What a novelty. I make it a rule to see this band in my home country every couple of years, just to prevent the natural order of things coming crashing down, donchaknow. The last time I saw them was in Philadelphia. A few months before that, it had been Boston; before that, Download 04 at Donington. This time, it was a relatively short 30 mile jaunt up the A34 to the Manchester Academy, my local venue, as it happens.
Danko and JC aren’t surprised to see me turn up at a gig any more. They know I will always be back, they just have no idea where, or when! Hell, even I rarely know until the day of the gig; I just can’t plan more than 30 minutes ahead. So much to do, so little time.
Given that I live in the North West of England, the two gigs I intended to catch were right at the end of the European tour: Manchester on the Friday, and Birmingham (the final date) on the Sunday. Now, 37 dates in 42 days is a gig schedule that would even have BB King, in his prime, sweating bullets. For Danko Jones, this is just business as usual. Yes, it’s tough, gruelling, relentless and just downright bloody hard work, but it is also why this band is so goddamn shit hot and one of the best live bands on the planet, right now.
Now, before you say that you can’t compare Danko Jones with someone like BB King, that it’s like comparing apples and Kumquats, I would beg to differ. I have seen BB King live. I’ve never seen or heard anyone do with a guitar, what BB can, that is unarguable. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. Year-upon-year of 300+ gigs meant that from the moment BB took to the stage, your attention was fixed firmly on anything and everything that he did. Only the ones who tour as if their very souls depended on it possess that skill. You know the moment they come out of the blackness at the side of the stage that they’re something special, and that they’re gonna kick your ass in a way that only they can. I’ve seen it a few times, probably more than I deserve, but I guess that’s karma paying me back in something other than cold, hard cash. I can live with that.
Given that I live in the North West of England, the two gigs I intended to catch were right at the end of the European tour: Manchester on the Friday, and Birmingham (the final date) on the Sunday. Now, 37 dates in 42 days is a gig schedule that would even have BB King, in his prime, sweating bullets. For Danko Jones, this is just business as usual. Yes, it’s tough, gruelling, relentless and just downright bloody hard work, but it is also why this band is so goddamn shit hot and one of the best live bands on the planet, right now.
Now, before you say that you can’t compare Danko Jones with someone like BB King, that it’s like comparing apples and Kumquats, I would beg to differ. I have seen BB King live. I’ve never seen or heard anyone do with a guitar, what BB can, that is unarguable. But that’s not what I’m talking about here. Year-upon-year of 300+ gigs meant that from the moment BB took to the stage, your attention was fixed firmly on anything and everything that he did. Only the ones who tour as if their very souls depended on it possess that skill. You know the moment they come out of the blackness at the side of the stage that they’re something special, and that they’re gonna kick your ass in a way that only they can. I’ve seen it a few times, probably more than I deserve, but I guess that’s karma paying me back in something other than cold, hard cash. I can live with that.
It’s all about stagecraft and, these days, that’s a rare commodity. Danko Jones (the man) and the band as a whole, has it in spades, and it shows. From the second the band emerges from the wings, you feel it. The songs are good, the performance powerful, the repartee strong and involving.
Danko is the focal point and he works the audience beautifully, teasing, taunting, tempting. (It’s only when you meet Danko off stage that you realise just how good he is at this!) Off to the side, bass player JC hammers out bass lines that are so heavy that you can hardly believe that they originate from just four strings. At the back, Dan constantly pounds away at his drum kit, proving that perpetual motion is, indeed, not only possible, but he actively demonstrates it for 75 insanely intense minutes. Looking through the setlist, it is hard to believe that they can actually play all of that material in such a short space of time. At the conclusion of the truly awesome encore, Mountain, you are hot, sweaty, hoarse, elated and exhausted. Every time I see this band I am drained emotionally and physically by the end of the show. Danko Jones plays it so fast and hard that they pack into an hour and a quarter, what would take most bands at least 2 hours to get through. There are no fillers, no slow numbers, no chance to catch your breath, just balls-to-the-wall, explicit, full-frontal rock ‘n’ roll.
Danko is the focal point and he works the audience beautifully, teasing, taunting, tempting. (It’s only when you meet Danko off stage that you realise just how good he is at this!) Off to the side, bass player JC hammers out bass lines that are so heavy that you can hardly believe that they originate from just four strings. At the back, Dan constantly pounds away at his drum kit, proving that perpetual motion is, indeed, not only possible, but he actively demonstrates it for 75 insanely intense minutes. Looking through the setlist, it is hard to believe that they can actually play all of that material in such a short space of time. At the conclusion of the truly awesome encore, Mountain, you are hot, sweaty, hoarse, elated and exhausted. Every time I see this band I am drained emotionally and physically by the end of the show. Danko Jones plays it so fast and hard that they pack into an hour and a quarter, what would take most bands at least 2 hours to get through. There are no fillers, no slow numbers, no chance to catch your breath, just balls-to-the-wall, explicit, full-frontal rock ‘n’ roll.
This is not for the timid, the faint of heart, weaklings, or anyone called Tristram, Jonty, or Tarquin. If this was movie sex, it would be hot, passionate and steamy. This is not beautifully lit, tasteful camera angles, fade out at the good bits, Julia Roberts body-doubles and Kevin Costner stunt-ass kind of crap. This is the real deal. It would make you go weak at the knees, your legs would turn to jelly; a tub of Anchor spreadable and the kitchen table would be the centre of the action. This would be Last Tango In Paris meets the Postman Always Rings Twice.
It is a credit to this power trio that they are such a good live band. This is their first outing with a new drummer, yet you would never know. The synergy within the band is so strong that I would have to say that this line up is even stronger than the long-standing Jones/Calabrese/Richardson which preceded it. There is the same intensity as ever there was, but now there also seems to be a greater degree of enjoyment within the band and it appears to have lifted them to a new level. Whatever it is, it is sure potent.
High points of the set? Wow. That’s a tough one. Play The Blues is still one hell of a song and Mango Kid, Sugar Chocolate, Lovercall, Love Is Unkind are all ***** songs from the back catalogue, whilst Mountain is one of the finest closers I’ve ever heard from any band. The more recent material is mighty strong too: Forget My Name is one of my personal favourites, Invisible, Sleep Is The Enemy, She’s Drugs, Baby Hates Me, all classics for future tours in my mind. I can’t find fault in any of the songs they played and I can’t be bothered looking for things to pick at.
It is a credit to this power trio that they are such a good live band. This is their first outing with a new drummer, yet you would never know. The synergy within the band is so strong that I would have to say that this line up is even stronger than the long-standing Jones/Calabrese/Richardson which preceded it. There is the same intensity as ever there was, but now there also seems to be a greater degree of enjoyment within the band and it appears to have lifted them to a new level. Whatever it is, it is sure potent.
High points of the set? Wow. That’s a tough one. Play The Blues is still one hell of a song and Mango Kid, Sugar Chocolate, Lovercall, Love Is Unkind are all ***** songs from the back catalogue, whilst Mountain is one of the finest closers I’ve ever heard from any band. The more recent material is mighty strong too: Forget My Name is one of my personal favourites, Invisible, Sleep Is The Enemy, She’s Drugs, Baby Hates Me, all classics for future tours in my mind. I can’t find fault in any of the songs they played and I can’t be bothered looking for things to pick at.
Of the two gigs, Manchester was the better from an audience point of view… you could actually see the band and, whilst it was hot and packed, it was still civilised enough to be enjoyable. Birmingham, at The Bar Academy was just too small, hot and cramped, for someone of my age anyway; I didn’t even bother to get my camera out, hence only pictures of the Manchester gig. Mind you, Birmingham did give me a chance just to stand back a bit and enjoy the gig without worrying about my focusing ring! Ah, such small luxuries.
Looking back at my previous reviews, I noticed that I always come down to comparing Danko Jones gigs to raunchy sex. Maybe I need to get out more? Or maybe, you need to get out more… to a Danko Jones gig! Go on, do yourself a favour.
Don’t Sleep!
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
24th April 2006
Looking back at my previous reviews, I noticed that I always come down to comparing Danko Jones gigs to raunchy sex. Maybe I need to get out more? Or maybe, you need to get out more… to a Danko Jones gig! Go on, do yourself a favour.
Don’t Sleep!
Mark L. Potts
The God of Thunder
24th April 2006
About the photos...
It's not often I take a lot of pictures that I really like, but this set, taken at the Manchester gig, feel really good. I enjoyed the gig, I enjoyed taking the pictures.
Score!