ULU TKO

I've just returned back from seeing Jesse Malin and his band play at ULU (University of London Union). Hey Jesse, if you are up late and googling this - 'great show!' - I suspect though he's either having a post show booze up in the Columbia bar or has already had his milk and cookies and is tucked up in bed. Rock 'n' Roll!


I remember, a few years back, I was on vacation in New York City, browsing in a Greenwich Village record store. I'd read good reports about Jesse's debut album The Fine Art Of Self Destruction but I don't think I had heard anything from it. Anyway, I decided to buy it and listened to it as I travelled around Manhattan. Wow! It was the soundtrack of my trip and rates up there with Lou Reed's New York album as one of the finest about the city. The follow up album, The Heat, was good in places but a bit of a disappointment in comparison. I felt the same the first time I saw Jesse, playing on The Heat tour in London - It should have been good but it seemed lacklustre, something was missing...

So, when Jesse's latest album Glitter In The Gutter came out and the ULU gig was announced I must admit that I was not all that enthusiastic about the news. Credit must go to my trusty sidekick MustyMC who went and got me a ticket for last night's show and ignited my interest in the Glitter CD. It's a very good album, a real grower and now Jesse has enough great material to put on a show to match.


The set was a wisely chosen mix, consisting mostly of the best songs from the new album like 'Black Haired Girl', 'Broken Radio', 'In The Modern World' and a stunning 'Aftermath', and old favourites from The Fine Art Of Self Destruction like 'Wendy', 'Brooklyn', 'Queen Of The Underworld', 'Riding On The Subway' and 'Solitaire'. Halfway through Solitaire Jesse got down from the stage and made his way into the centre of the crowd. He then got everyone to crouch down on the floor around him and we all sang along together to the end of the song (see photo above). A great moment.

Jesse and the band also sprinkled in a few choice covers: A fast, energetic version of Harry Nilsson's Everybody's Talkin', a solo acoustic take on The Hold Steady's You Can Make Him Like You and pretty accurate performance of The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (aided by support band Headway).

Nice one Jesse.

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