Local rock-n-roll exponents Jointpop played their first gig at Studio Rumours on August 29.
As they've done in their last several gigs, they performed music from their latest album release, The Pot Hounds.
But fans who turned up to the Tragarete Road club were treated to a sample of older material seldom played by the band. Although audience turnout was modest, those who did attend got to hear some older favourites.
Taking the stage at around 10 pm, the musicians–guitarist Damon Homer, drummer Dion Camacho, keypoardist Phil Hill, and bassist Jerome Girdharrie–arranged themselves around lead singer Gary Hector.
They got it started with the nostalgic Brass and Steel, from the album The January Transfer Window, and Paper Plane from The Pot Hounds.
On Who Shot Paradise, a dark love song about T&T from their Bess of Jointpop album, Hector showed off his penchant for metaphor: "Has anybody seen my girl? She used to be the prettiest girl in the world." Regretably, the sound levels were not optimised, so although the band members were seated, they cranked it up loud, obscuring the lyrics at times.
January Transfer Window's Desperate Housefly Quality Daydream Time took fans back, as did South of France, Planes Trains and Pain and We Can Work it out (from The Longest Kiss Goodnight).
But it was Superapple, of Pot Hounds, that sounded most polished, as the band has performed it many times since the albums release last year. The song–as does much of Jointpop's best material–has shades of foundation rock-n-roll music, yet manges to feel contemporary, with a unique sensibility.
The second set was strong, with a better sound balance. They played more songs from The Pot Hounds, including Sexy Garbage Can, The Water Supreme, Dead Frog Perfume and Sweet Nothings. Hector's witty lyrics and sideways sense of humour kept the audience entertained, both while singing and during his ad-libs in between.
Highlights of the second set included the passionate The Fool, from January Transfer Window, and I Hate Entertainment, a fan fave off 2002's Exile Baby. The song, which they haven't played in some time, explores the concept of "selling out" for success. For a band like jointpop that's attempted to maintain artistic integrity for more than 15 years, it's always a poignant commentary.
They ended the show before the intimate group of patrons with The Bleeding Broken Hearts Club.
Studio Rumours, at 145 Tragarete Road, features live entertainment every other Thursday night. Next up will be the band Supernormal, on September 12.
Keep up to date with the latest on Jointpop by visiting their website jointpop.com or their Facebook page: Jointpop.
