Jesse Malin / Dave Bielanko And Christine Smith / Mike Newsham

Exactly a year after I first saw Jesse Malin perform his solo work, here he is again in Yorkshire as part of a short eight-date tour to coincide with the release of new covers album 'On Your Sleeve'.

Differing from the advertised support of Holly Brooks, support duties are performed by local soloist Mike Newsham. A multi-instrumentalist, he has previously played drums in Slater and has just finished as bassist in York's Colour Of Fire. His style is unassuming but involving, and his power pop acoustic songs are quite catchy.

Marah founder Dave Bielanko is up next with keyboardist Christine Smith to perform a few tracks. He is very much in the Jesse Malin vein, and as well as having spiritual home in Brooklyn has also worked with the Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. The similarities are all there, but Bielanko's voice is much deeper than Malin's. He is also more talkative tonight than usual, maybe Malin's story-telling style is rubbing off on him! The set ran over to 45 minutes, but many in the crowd do not seem to mind. Smith on backing vocals and keys does a brilliant job, she's a real talent. Songs include 'Barstool Blues', 'Round Eye Blues', 'Body', 'Freedom Park' and 'Can't Take It With You'.



Smith is back on stage again to accompany Jesse Malin, whose jokes that she is "glued to the stage". Malin is in talking mood tonight; well, he is normally, and though some may think he rambles on and on, I find his stories of past hangouts and life's episodes charming and quite witty. You can not make up the one about his ex-music school "Diane Lane used to go there before it became run down" turned into a male brothel, while he was there! And the one about his sister finding his swinger dad's vibrator, which he called a back massager... classics!

The setlist is not, as you might think, dominated with covers from the new release, but it is a rare chance to see Malin perform them without a backing band, so tracks like The Hold Steady's 'You Can Make Them Like You' are more delicate (that is saying a lot, if you have seen The Hold Steady, they aren't fragile with it!).

Fred Neil's 'Everybody's Talking' is the hit cover song of the night (and includes the odd changed lyric), along with Rolling Stone's 'Sway' (finishing the set) and Elton John's 'Harmony'. There are some covers not on the album, such as Johnny Thunder's 'It's Not Enough' and 'Death or Glory' by The Clash, which everyone is asked to clap ("It's no longer a disease!") along to. "Joe Strummer lived fast and hard, he could be dancing on the bar at 5am after drinking us youngsters under the table!" remembers Malin of his encounters with the legendary punk.

There are plenty of songs from Jesse's three solo albums, stand out tracks being 'Broken Radio', 'Brooklyn', 'Since You're In Love' and my personal favourite the punky 'Wendy'.



With the set working out to be a 50/50 split of stories and songs, the place must be full of hardcore fans for them to stand and listen to Malin for over ninety minutes. Some, especially the older ones there (the crowd is predominantly in the middle age area) are relieved when the offer of a sit down is there, even if it is the sticky Fibbers floor.

This is now a staple at Malin's gig, getting the entire crowd to it on the floor as he sits among them, singing Neil Young's 'Helpless' along with the crowd. That amount of singing and talking must have left the poor guy parched, so he asks for a shot of tequila from the bar, but the moody barmaid will not serve him! After nearly ten minutes of asking, she slowly gets him the shot, after he has shown a little of his punk roots by putting his feet on the bar. Go Jesse!

Black Haired Girl
Little Star
Hotel Columbia
Brooklyn
Operator
Since You're In Love
You Can Make Them Like You
Almost Grown
Broken Radio
Death Or Glory
Basement Home
Everybody's Talking
Russian Roulette
It's Not Enough
Harmony
Wendy

Helpless
Bastards Of Young
Sway

FUTURE GIGS

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