Gigs: Jesse Malin live at Islington Bar Academy :: Wessex Scene Online

Gigs: Jesse Malin live at Islington Bar Academy

23rd February 2007
Hannah Dudley

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May 09 - Propaghandi: Islington Academy
Nov 08 - The King Blues Live
Oct 07 - Gigs: Tegan & Sara, Komedia, Brighton
Mar 06 - Ryan Adams live at the Apollo Victoria
Dec 05 - Martha Wainwright live at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms

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Oct 07 - Gigs: Tegan & Sara, Komedia, Brighton
Mar 06 - Ryan Adams live at the Apollo Victoria
Dec 05 - Martha Wainwright live at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
Nov 05 - Student Essential: Jewel

I held my breath as Jesse Malin made his way onto the Academy’s tiny stage, Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Only Living Boy In New York’ playing overhead.

Following a week touring the UK and promoting his upcoming third solo album, ‘Glitter In The Gutter’ (out February 26th), Jesse was hungry to please the two-hundred-odd crowd. Bruce Springsteen’s guest appearance on ‘Glitter’ could explain the numerous middle-aged couples getting tipsy on alco-pops, bizarrely head-banging around me (annoying but amusing) but Jesse took it all in his stride – including the 9-year old who corrected him on the lyrics to a Baby Cham song.

Adopting his trademark persona of beautifully sincere, effervescently astounding rock genius, the band opened with the gut-churning ‘Riding on the Subway’ (from 2003 debut, ‘The Fine Art of Self-Destruction’).

New tracks included ‘Blackhaired Girl’ - an instant crowd pleaser - ‘New York Nights’, ‘In The Modern World’ and ‘Don’t Let Them Take You Down’ (www.myspace.com/jessemalin). Taking things down, Jesse performed an acoustic version of the emotive ‘Broken Radio’, dedicated to his mother. Continuing with an extended version of one of his best songs, ‘Brooklyn’ and a re-worked ‘Since Your In Love’, Jesse showcased the intensity and brilliance of his songwriting with the power and energy of a true veteran.

Jesse is one of those musicians you cannot wholly appreciate until you have seen him live – the power with which he slams his guitar and the energy he emotes in every word is gut-wrenching and not fully palpable from his records.

His self-deprecating attitude and tales of LA airheads and hipsters, the power of myspace and the bizarre adoption of new words that define each new generation (apparently ours is ‘bootycall’) ensured the crowd of fanatics, music journos and those who had seemingly wandered in from Islington’s shopping arcade were kept smiling and cheering all night.

Calling for everybody to sit on the floor and join him in an a cappella version of ‘Solitaire’ forced even the bemused bar attendants to recognize the power Jesse commands over a crowd.

Even after his two-hour set, the affable gentleman took the time to talk with many of his fans. I took the opportunity to thank him for the great show and sneakily hand him a copy of my own CD, which he graciously accepted with a piercing smile that would make any girl’s knees falter.