Tuesday 26/09/06 Just Jack, David E Sugar @ 93 Feet East, London

If you can successfully run the gauntlet, past the seemingly endless stretch of curry houses that famously make up Brick Lane, without being tempted to stop off for a quick chicken tikka masala, you’ll stumble upon 93 Feet East, the establishment that prides itself on championing experimental electro music for the masses.

Providing the support tonight is David E Sugar and his sound is unique to say the least. Standing solitary on stage and looking every bit like the classic go it alone singer song writer, complete with acoustic guitar slung across his shoulder, it’s a big shock when out of the blue comes a mix of bone shaking, ****ed up drum and bass meets hardcore techno beats. There’s no explanation, absolutely no rhyme, certainly no reason and unsurprisingly the crowd is unimpressed and as a result unimpressive themselves. This is game boy dance (there’s one strapped to his guitar which features throughout his set) for all the rave casualties that have gone missing in action over the last decade. Not a good premise to base a live performance on and certainly nothing to write home about, especially when Mr. Sugar covers and subsequently murders The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’. Thankfully it’s a short set and there’s just enough time to go to the toilet, dry those bleeding ears, get a beer and try to make sense of it all, before tonight’s main draw takes to the stage.

Luckily salvation is just around the corner and our saviour tonight is Just Jack. With a nervous swagger and a big grin, Jack looks younger than his years under the glare of the spotlight. By this point the crowd has visibly swelled and it seems to momentarily take Jack aback somewhat. “**** me, look at you lot!” are Jack’s only words of introduction before the Camden born wordsmith launches into the funk fuelled vibes of ‘Life Stories’. Perfectly executed, his vocal dexterity immediately apparent, there’s more than your average half arsed foot tapping going on and we’re only one song into the set. There’s a widespread sense of edgy anticipation hanging thick in the air and Jack wastes no time in capitalizing on the ever-increasing excitement that his mere presence is creating. Dedicated to his sister, the soulful beat’s and bass of ‘No Time’ incite sporadic pockets of dancing in fits and bursts. It’s contagious as hell and it’s not long before the whole place is moving. Despite the name, the backing musicians are as much a part of tonight as Jack is and he knows it, courteously involving them throughout and immersing himself in the music.

This is a group experience; Jack, band and audience all working together and it pay’s off with Jack soaking up every bit of energy the crowd are giving off before throwing it right back to the floor. There’s a lot of new material from his forthcoming album ‘Overtones’ being showcased here tonight. And considering that it’s not due to be released until late January, there’s a surprising amount of people who know the songs inside out. Each and every track almost without exception gets a rapturous response and that’s just from the opening beats, his dirty cleansing realism ringing true with those gathered here tonight. The easy on the ear grooves of ‘Glory Days’, ‘Disco Friends’ and ‘I Talk Too Much’ go down a storm, the lyrics dripping effortlessly from his tongue, his palpable enjoyment and big smile mirroring that of the crowd and adding infinitely to the show. Jack’s confidence evidently grows as the set progresses, to the point where at times you can hardly see him for all the hands that are being waved in the air. But it’s all cool, the atmosphere and the performance are far too infectious to even consider complaining.

Time flies when you’re having fun and sadly it’s all over far too quickly. “Thanks for coming down tonight people. I’m ****ing gob smacked”, grins Jack before closing the set with the laid back moody urgency of ‘Writer’s Block’. And what a rendition it is, but unfortunately all good things do have to come to an end sooner or later. But thankfully, albeit unexpectedly as much for Jack as for the crowd, there’s an unplanned encore and we’re treated to the finger clicking delights of ‘Starz In Their Eyes’. Pure class on an unparalleled level, this is the perfect end to an amazing and electrifying gig. With a live reputation guaranteed to precede him, it’s only a matter of time before Just Jack starts selling out venues of a much bigger scale. Catch him while you can, miss him at your peril.