I will definitely be seeing JD McPherson again, it was a great night...

I went to a gig with my Dad last night. He is a bigger music fan than me, has a larger record collection, a better system and music should have been his work life because it has always meant so much to him. He has a more varied taste in music to me but we tend to meet at Rock n Roll. I guess it was my first musical love because of him, I adored Eddie Cochran, early Elvis and Gene Vincent, my Dad's influence possibly but it was my main musical love for a few years, enough that at 11 years old I had a quiff and put it in place with Brylcreem.
Anyway, my musical tastes diversified and my love of 1950's rock n roll diminished. I loved Elvis and Gene Vincent less although Eddie Cochran has always been dear to my heart, that never changed. I kind of forgot classic rock n roll until a couple of years ago when I heard "North Side Gal" by JD McPherson. Here is the man himself along with Jimmy Sutton his bass player and possibly the coolest individual I have ever seen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRX46wcJMo0

I had spent sometime listening to both his albums and they are good but given a little time, they grow and given a live airing, they really come to life. I jump ahead of myself, the gig was at the Koko in Mornington Crescent (© I'm sorry I haven't a clue...probably). I always assumed that Mornington Crescent (© I'm sorry I haven't a clue...probably) was the name on a tube map that didn't actually exist as it was from the imagination of the late, great, Humphrey Lyttelton. The Koko looks an old art deco theatre, it is simply beautiful inside, all carved wood with red and gold and dimly lit with chandeliers, it is easily the prettiest venue I have ever visited for a gig (photos here: http://www.pureconsult.co.uk/venues/koko/).
The audience were a mixed bag, this being a short walk from Camden, there were plenty of younger fashionistas, 1950's floral dresses, immaculate hair and make up while the men's fashion was more eclectic, plenty of US 1950's fashions, think American Graffiti, plenty of work clothes, it being  work night and the older crowd who remembered it the first time around with a few metalheads thrown in for good measure.

JD McPherson and his band hit the stage and they were ready to rock and roll but this being a London crowd, they take some warming up as London crowds are subdued compared to other parts of the UK. The band were tight, keyboards, rhythm guitarist/saxophonist, drummer, Jimmy Sutton on double bass and JD McPherson on guitar and vocals. The set was varied but always familiar as McPherson's musical preference stops before rock n roll sold out, it has the country twang in places, that jazz feel and in others that outright early rock n roll feel, it never touched on the psychobilly or the watered down version that rock n roll became. I could hear Eddie Cochran and Little Richard escaping in the music, an era where Elvis was pre-Army and pre-Colonel, he was the star of Sun and the music had a rebellious innocence to it.
It was a great concert, conducted at volumes that I am not familiar with as they were less than deafening and the crowd didn't surge and bounce, they danced and watched. JD McPherson has a fantastic singing voice, soulful when needed and with bite for the harder numbers. He reminds me a little of Bryan Adams, this was a no frills show, they came on to play music and have a good time and they did just that, no special effects or gimmicks needed, just an abundance of good songs, talent and passion. A special mention to Jimmy Sutton, apparently it was his birthday but I mention him because he is my new hero, he is the coolest guy I've ever seen on stage.

I will definitely be seeing JD McPherson again, it was a great night, fun and filled with passion and the unknown and a genuine feeling of bonhomie, these guys came in as strangers and left as friends.

Here they are on the streets again, this time doing "Scandalous"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOoF80nTzdI&index=2&list=RDoj5rhUgXyyA

Finally, here is the title song of the new album, do yourself a favour and look this up on whatever music service you use, if you like proper rock n roll this is for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj5rhUgXyyA&list=RDoj5rhUgXyyA&index=1