Live Review: Jet

Jet

If you're a Jet fan/stalker you probably noticed a post on the band's Facebook page at 8pm Sunday night, revealing the following:

Punters excitedly gather in front of the row of four bar stools and piano stool that have been set up for tonight's exclusive, pop-up acoustic Jet show. A circle of fear is respectfully left while equipment is set up in front of a giant portrait of Asher Keddie.

The five members of Jet strut through the crowd toward the performance space looking every inch the rockers they are in mainly black threads. Cheeky drummer Chris Cester takes the mic first, "Who was at the footy today? Yes, Pies, YES!" He then takes lead vocals on Move On.   

"We haven't planned any of this," his brother Nic points out post-song. "Still, after 15 years, we're not any more professional." He then shares that it seems weird to be in Harley House without a Pisco Sour in hand and a member of the bar staff promises this cocktail with a base of South American grape brandy is on its way. They perform Eleanor next, with the brothers harmonising beautifully as only siblings can, and a cocktail shaker can be heard signalling that Cester's drink isn't far off. "Where's my Pisco?" A tray containing Pisco Sours is delivered to the band and King's Horses follows.

"If anybody has a request that's on the list, we'll do it," one of the Cester brothers says (it's dark in here so hard to tell). The spontaneity of this show is endearing and the band seem very relaxed. "Wanna try Bring It On Back?" Nic fucks up some lyrics then reveals, after this song, that he usually has a cheat sheet stuck to the floor of the stage since he's prone to forgetting the chorus. "But don't tell the others at the Forum that," he adds with a laugh.  

After some discussion, Jet decide to give Hold On, the song they wrote for the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack, a crack and it's mass singalongs. Chris then starts off the distinctive tambourine pattern that opens Are You Gonna Be My Girl, the song that launched them worldwide thanks to an iPod sync, and Nic observes with a grin directed his brother's way, "Always stealing my thunder, this fucking guy!"

Bar staff hold their phones up to take some footage, chuffed with their vantage points. Some fans who have missed out on gaining entry gather near the windows up at street level and Nic chuckles, telling us some of them are attempting to take photos from there. This song may be a dead ringer for Iggy Pop's Lust For Life, but it's also irresistible and gets us dancing even when performed acoustically. Chris offloads the maracas to keyboard player/percussionist Louis Macklin for She's A Genius so that he can concentrate on BVs and tambourine. Those assembled belt out the "Oh-wah-OH-oh-oh-oh-OH!"s and it has to be said that the Cesters are certainly in fine voice this evening. There's scattered requests for Seventeen and the band decide to oblige.

And that's it! A short-but-sweet warm-up for the band before they perform around the corner at Forum Theatre and an absolute treat for fans to be so up close and personal with Jet.    

It's always a bit awkward (but also awesome) watching band members wandering back out through the crowd and a few back slaps of appreciation are delivered as they pass. Then many punters head to the bar to try out these Pisco Sours.