Jake Evans... Where Have You Been?
Published
The first time I saw Jake Evans was on the stage of the Manchester Apollo supporting the city’s finest, New Order. I suppose he was perfect for the slot, having worked with Barney on his side project ‘Bad Lieutenant’. However I was slightly disappointed to find nothing of his solo work after an intensive search on the internet.
Two years later and I’m at the Deaf Institute, Manchester. It seems a perfect setting for his debut album performance. For anyone who hasn’t’ been to the venue, I’ll give a brief description. It has a church hall kind of vibe; however the elephant in the room has to be the massive glitter ball that hangs from the high ceilings.
As the drummer and bass player take stage we are informed that Jake is just ‘paying his parking fee and will join shortly’. As he casually takes the stage he is greeted by a rapturous applause that instantly plants a grin on his face. This is his hall now.
‘Rise’ opens the set. And what an opener it is. What is instantly noticeable is the sound that the three musicians can generate. Powerful isn’t the word. Awesome might be more suitable. I’d forgotten how good Jake and his band are. ‘This is Life’ follows. I was actually surprised that it featured so early in the set. However it sounds better live than on record. Jake's guitar playing really shines through on this track. This is definitely a favourite with the audience, and also a personal favourite of mine.
As we go through the eleven song set, it is noticeable that Evans has a wide range of musical styles. The title track ‘Day One’ has a moodier progressive beat, ‘Sun goes Down’ nudges towards psychedelia , whereas ‘Telephone’ takes us towards the dance floor.
We end with a great version of ‘Easy on my Soul’ There’s no need for the gospel choir on this one tonight as the audience take control and sing along to the chorus, much to the delight of Evans and co. It’s enough to makes your ears smile!
Two years ago Jake Evans was impressive. Tonight he switched up a gear and blew us away with his musicianship and stage presence. It was a performance he should be proud of. Just don’t leave it so long next time.
To find out more about Jake Evans click here.
To visit the Jake Evans Facebook page click here.
Words & main article picture by Lawrence Taylor
