Déjà Vega are fucking loud, I know this already but as proof, as I’m walking down Oxford Road, I can hear them already tearing Manchester Academy 3 apart. As I walk in, I swear it’s like being hit by a million swarming tornadoes. It’s not their crowd tonight and far too few have got in early enough to witness one of the city’s best bands. That’s not gonna stop DV though. Their sound is the very definition of a juggernaut. The ever present rhythm reassuringly setting the pace, as Jack’s guitar twists over, through and around the drums and bass that could melt your internal organs. They’re like a prog band you can head-bang to. It’s a short but intense set, that by the end sees them all smiling at one another as they lock in. I’m grinning like an idiot too and as the room fills, the heads are bobbing with approval. If you were here tonight you’ll know the next ticket you need to buy is to see Déjà Vega again, phenomenal.
Now I’ve seen DV many times and they might well be the perfect band to open for Jon Spencer, who I’m seeing for the first time. I’m by no means new to Mr Spencer’s firebrand blues assault though. He has a formidable arsenal of records under many monikers over many years, but being in the room with the madman is something else. He’s the focus of a pretty deadly three piece roadhouse blues outfit laced with a punk swagger. Heavy on the riffs and heavy on the ears, they meet DV on the volume and I’m starting to think it was a mistake leaving my plugs at home. He’s a wiry ball of energy, hell bent on taking over the entire room and I’ve got to admit he’s bloody infectious. It’s an older crowd and most are bobbing as they were for DV, but some are dancing too. That is until a slight delay for a replacement guitar cable. I’d like to believe the old one was scared to literal death by the venom coursing through it. It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like this, but I’m all for anything that reminds you this is live and anything can happen. What was initially thought a quick fix though, turns out not to be as Jon announces “We’re gonna take five” and the delay extends as a replacement amp is found. So it’s a relief when they return, plug back in and go for the jugular. The songs come thick and fast as they set a staggering pace. I can’t take my eyes off Spencer. Guitar on hip, knees bent as he drops with the breaks, before popping up to the mic with a pitch perfect scream. He feels it and so does the room. Yes there’s plenty of straight up rock n roll, but it’s all in the delivery and boy do these three deliver. If you’re not moving, you might wanna check you’re not as dead as that amp. Great as Spencer’s rockabilly voice is, I’ve got to give a shout out to the lad destroying the drums who’s got one helluva scream on him too, he’s brutal. After an hour of then keeping me in constant motion, I’m as hot as Spencer looks and he looks very hot. Suited in black, he’s dripping with sweat. He’s putting a shift in, but he clearly wants more from the crowd. I’m not surprised really, this set feels like Academy 3 should be a surging sweat pit, it’s the perfect size, but it’s not that crowd. So try as he might, it stays polite. It’s still great though and after nearly 90 minutes I’m left wondering why I’ve left it this long to see him live. I won’t leave it so long next time.
Comments