David Yow’s Jesus Lizard wows Academy 2 with an early contender for gig of the year
Words & Photos: Andi Callen Photography
Note the date, Wednesday 8th January 2025. The new born year is still finding it’s feet, like Bambi on the ice, blinking as it’s eyes get accustomed to the light having been in total darkness. Then, emerging from a tour bus, hibernation is brought to an abrupt end as, David Yow and his acolytes, Duane Denison, David Wm Sims and Mac McNeilly set the bar so high, so early, that this will be the gig that all others will be benchmarked against over the next 51 weeks. Sound like hyperbole? In which case my friend you simply haven’t seen The Jesus Lizard on this tour, their first in the UK for 26 years.
Opening proceedings are London based noise merchants, USA Nails, with their own brand of angular weird post-hardcore, similar to Girls In Synthesis or Pissed Jeans, but with elements of a harder McCluskey vibe, and a pure lineage to the likes of Wire and Gang of Four. The band are Steven – Guitar, Vocals Matt – Drums Gareth – Guitar Daniel – Bass. Formed more than a decade ago, from the remnants of Kong, Future Of The Left, Blacklisters, Death Pedals and Silent Front, tonight’s set draws from last years excellent Feel Worse album, on One Little Independent label, with a few tracks thrown in from their other 6 albums. They are well received by the large crowd who have got in early, and by their own admission are as excited as we are to see Jesus Lizard. Check them out if they’re playing near you in the future.
Expectations are high tonight. Early reports and footage from last night’s Glasgow gig have got people guessing as to how Yow will be attired. Last night in Scotland saw him wearing cowboy boots, a fake fur coat and ahem, what can only be described as budgie smugglers!! Fellow PCN Magazine editor Raymond Thomson, had staked his claim at the front and had a thoroughly disturbing close encounter with various Yow body parts, as he embraced the crowd and vaulted the barrier into the crowd, pretty much from the first whistle. Tonight I’m ready for him!
The gentle hi-hat tapping of Glamorous begins and Yow prowls the stage, looking approvingly at the assembled throng. Shit is about to get real. Obviously Yow’s voice has a different timbre to that of the younger man from the recordings, but it’s still a guttural and explosive weapon. Denison’s angular guitar cuts like a knife through butter, Mac’s solid snare punctuating the outro. Yow is staring, looking intent on mayhem and as Boilermaker follows, exploding from nowhere, he makes his first venture off stage, a recurring pattern repeated throughout proceedings. Embracing the fans on the barrier, he struggles to keep hold of the mike but retains his composure in the face of overwhelming odds. Somehow he gets through the song unscathed. I like to think that Joe Talbot heard Boilermaker and went, “yup that’s the sound I want” before forming Idles. Puss follows with it’s Fugazi like vocals and by the time we get to Seasick, with it’s “I can swim, I can’t swim” refrain, Yow is off literally swimming across the outstretched arms of the crowd, attempting front crawl! The constraints of the mic lead ensure he never gets too far from shore and he’s hauled back by the grateful security/road crew in time for Mouth Breather. We’re grateful that tonight that the speedos have not made an appearance. Yow turned 64 last August and shows no less appetite to give his all. Thumbscrews sounds great, Simms bass punching you in the stomach as Dennisons guitar sways between Beefheart’s Magic Band and country slide. The pace of My Own Urine gives him temporary respite and the first opportunity to call us cock suckers, in between constantly spitting, another recurring theme. At some point a chair appears on stage and Yow takes a break from battering the crowd and a well earned breather. Then quite bizarrely at the end of the song it’s the chair’s turn to crowd surf and is handled cautiously all the way to the back of the room, another first for me, but I suspect not for The Jesus Lizard!
The energy and raw power that exudes from this band is over powering, an aural assault but at the same time laced with delicacy and nuance. Yow’s delivery is nothing short of stunning, similar to an older guy challenging some young punk to a duel, asserting the alpha male, whilst leaving you with a feeling of “what if”.
The truth of the “what if” question, could only have been answered perhaps if the band had not taken 16 years off from their career. Then perhaps it would be another level of venues and success. Afterall, the music buying public have taken bands like Idles to their collective hearts, elevating them to a level that most bands can only aspire to. Perhaps we should be grateful though that they are still accessible and we get to witness this beautiful noise from touching distance, sometimes quite literally!
Not content with just giving us 15 amazing songs in the main set, they return for not one but two more encores and another eight songs, which includes Yow putting down The Who after yet again calling us a bunch of cock suckers.
Fittingly things end at the end of Falling Down with another trademark Yow mic drop and its over. Hopefully we wont have to wait another 26 years between albums or shows on these shores. Dread to think how intimidating a 90 year old Yow would be!!!
Set list:
Glamorous/Boilermaker/Puss/Seasick/Mouth Breather/Thumbscrews/My Own Urine/Grind/Nub/Hide & Seek/What If?/Chrome/Alexis Feels Sick/Gladiator/Then Comes Dudley
Encore 1:
Lord Godiva/Thumper/Fly On The Wall/Moto(R)/Monkey Trick
Encore 2:
Dunning Kruger/Armistice Day/Falling Down
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