GIG REVIEW: Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
- Posted on May 27, 2008 12:05 PM
- 0 comments
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
Supported by Beggars
London, Scala
Review by Andy B
When does it become too late for a band to change its name? Sadly, for the ridiculously monikered Joe Lean and Jing Jang Jong, it looks like they have already passed the point of no return.
With TV appearances, a string of high-profile support slots and their first major headline tour under their belt, they are now lumbered with that cumbersome name wherever they go.
The Brighton-based five-piece’s tour took in the Scala in London, where they kicked off with a ferocious instrumental that set the surprisingly raucous tone for the rest of their performance. Their guitar-driven pop loses its studio twang in a live setting and gains a barrage of machine gun riffs.
However, the Jing Jang Jong sound struggles to be as sharp as their extra pointy Chelsea boots or as tight as their ultra skinny jeans. And ultimately, there is little originality in their song writing, which sadly fails to live up to the early promise of their first two singles, Lonely Buoy and Lucio Starts Fires.
Joe Lean, aka Joe Van Moyland, has a pretty successful acting career, and it’s hard not to see his studied performance as an extension of that. There’s plenty of Jagger in his moves, plus some of Iggy’s raw power, and the slightest hint of David Byrne eccentricity for good measure.
And while he and the band literally hurl themselves into their songs, their boundless energy fails to ignite the crowd in the same way. They leave the stage to polite applause and extremely half-hearted calls for an encore, which go unanswered.
Support came from Reading four-piece, Beggars, who ply a similar sound but have an edge over Joe and Co. Their four-part harmonies set them ahead of the crowd and they also display rare ambition, tackling Leonard Cohen’s The Future and coming out on top.
Like tonight’s headliners, they play up their mod inspirations, citing seminal bands The Action and The Creation as influences and taking to the stage in their sharp threads to the sound of The Young Mod’s Forgotten Story by The Impressions.
However, much of their set is closer to the looser and more folky sound of The La’s or The Loving Spoonful. Fortunately, they succeed in this space where other recent pretenders have failed. That is largely thanks to songs as catchy as Me and You, which mark them out as band worth watching.
Related links:
Buy or sell Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong tickets.
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong official site.
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong MySpace.
Beggars' MySpace.
Beggars' official site.
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