Anyone having seen Jebediah in the last few years would know that their live
act rivals just about any band in the country, with a blaze of memorable
choruses and pop hooks to stick in the mind for quite some time after the
show. With their second album hitting the shelves, Jebediah are launching
into a vigorous touring schedule, with tonight’s gig a special performance
for early purchasers.
Looking around the Campus Club, you can’t help but wonder why there aren’t
more bands playing here, with a good crowd packed in and awaiting the start
of the show. It isn’t long before the boys, and girl, of Jebediah take to
the stage, and there’s no prizes for guessing that tonight’s gig will
contain mostly new material.
Working their way through the set, new material is in abundance, of which
the crowd is very appreciative. Unlike most in the crowd, this reviewer has
not secured a copy of Of Someday Shambles, and hearing the new material for
the first time, you can’t help but be slightly disappointed.
Onstage, the band are throwing lots of energy into their delivery, but the
songs seem to lack the freshness and memorability of those of the first
album. ‘Skin’ appears as the exception to this, and you can’t help but
wonder why there aren’t more new tracks like this. ‘Lino’ makes an
appearance from Slightly Odway, and the Jebs finish off their one hour set
with ‘Star Machine,’ arguably the strongest track for the night.
Retaking the stage for the encore, audience requests are taken, and those
hanging out for some more Slightly Odway tunes are rewarded for their
patience. ‘Harpoon’ makes an appearance, followed by an extended version of
‘Teflon,’ with Kevin stopping to illustrate how "hardcore" Jebediah are, and
proceeding to do the worst cover version you could possibly imagine of Limp
Bizkit’s ‘Nookie.’
This aside, Jebediah triumphantly leave the stage, having once again proved
their talents in the live arena. While their newer material lacks the
originality and hooks of their first album, Jebediah still manage to put
together an energetic and entertaining show which is worth the price of
admission.
Darren Swan