I was gutted when Jamie Lenman’s former band, Reuben, broke
up. Brilliant, endlessly inventive, but
unfortunately not successful enough to sustain themselves, they called it a day
after 3 studio albums. Lenman
apparently, to quote his own lyrics, “got a real job in the office.”
He returned in 2012 with ambitious double album Muscle Memory; a patchy mix of
aggressive, abrasive songs, showcasing the scream heard in Reuben’s heavier
moments, and gentler, folk-y tunes. The
heavy stuff neglected the melodic flourishes that made Reuben so special and
the folk album did little for me. Jump
to 2017 and out of nowhere he returns with the stunning Devolver album, which is a riff-driven juggernaut where it needs to
be, gentle in places, and unafraid to dabble in bold new sounds. And that about
brings us up to date.
I realise how infrequently I visit the Academy these days as
I walk into the sparsely populated upstairs venue. A quick look at the listings shows why: at
least half of the acts are tribute bands, and one of the upcoming original
bands is the Insane Clown Posse. There
is still barely anyone in when opening band Loa Loa start playing. The singer is wearing a Sonic Youth t-shirt,
and this tells you everything you need to know about them. He sings in that gobby, tuneless manner that
Britpop singers used to use, and I remember almost nothing else about them.
The place is filling up nicely when Gender Roles come on
stage. Looking like an in-their-prime
Nirvana (tiny, bleached-haired guitarist, tall bassist, and energetic drummer
with lank hair), they sound not unlike Seattle circa 1991, with moments of
Dinosaur Jr., Mudhoney, and indeed Nirvana themselves. They make an impressive noise and over the
course of a 30 minute set, I’m sold.
It’s clear that there are some serious, hardcore Reuben fans
in the venue, which has now filled out but nowhere near to capacity. This doesn’t deter many from indulging in a
moshpit as soon as Lenman walks on with the palm-muted staccato guitar that
opens ‘Hardbeat’ playing over the PA.
Band-wise, it’s just Lenman and drummer Dan Kavanagh. Both are dressed in white shirts and
trousers, Lenman sporting the same faux-vintage hairstyle-moustache combo from
his album cover. He looks like one of
the bartenders in those insufferable ‘shabby chic’ bars who call themselves
mixologists but are actually just cunts.
I don’t like this kind of gimmickry, especially from a songwriter as
good as Lenman, but if it helps him get noticed then fair play to him.
He starts the rhythmic, almost whispered verse to ‘Hardbeat’
and the place goes wild, adding flourishes with his guitar as the song
builds. It’s akin to an upbeat Nine Inch
Nails song, eventually reaching a drum break, at which point Lenman joins
Kavanagh on a 2nd drumkit, adding fills galore before taking over
the beat which Kavanagh takes his guitar to end the song. Technically,
we have a drum solo in the first song, but the whole thing is done with such
charm and enjoyment, they get away with it.
‘Hell In A Fast Car’ follows, with its killer riffs and
infectious chorus, and then – yes! – Reuben’s ‘A Kick In The Mouth’. He dips into Muscle Memory for a brutal ‘One Of My Eyes Is A Clock’ and later ‘Tiny
Lives’ but the set is mostly derived from the excellent Devolver. ‘Waterloo Teeth’, ‘All
Of England Is A City’, and a funky ‘I Don’t Know Anything’ are all aired before
Reuben classic ‘Every Time A Teenager Listens To Drum And Bass A Rock Star Dies’
and an epic ‘Mississippi’ close the first set.
Lenman is in good form between songs, his banter ranging
from genuine appreciation to mock arrogance, and all is supremely good
humour. The man is a fine singer and a
human riff machine, but for the latter part of the show he returns to the stage
alone to reel off renditions of ‘Devolver’, ‘It’s Hard To Be A Gentleman’, a
wonderful ‘Bodypopping’ and ‘Pretty Please’ before signing off with a tongue in
cheek ‘Let’s Stop Hanging Out’ to send the crowd away.
Lenman is one of England’s finest songwriters, a fantastic
performer, and has a small but extremely dedicated army of fans. We all leave thoroughly entertained by both
nostalgia and a selection of sublime new songs.
He’s back, and you should take notice.
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