REVIEW: Andrew Jackson Jihad @ WTFest 2014

The excitement had been building all day and the tiny capacity of the joiners was froffing thick with tattoos, piercings and DIY patches. No, I was not at a squat party or, for a change, at a leather bear meet up, but watching Andrew Jackson Jihad at another amazing day at WTFest.

The crowd had already been offered a smorgasbord of fantastic punk music, culminating in sweaty anticipation. The dim lighting and dense crowd made me feel cooped up, but it wasn’t suffocating, in fact it was quite the opposite. It was an intimate darkness, like when you’re huddling together with your friends around a joint on those cold winter nights as a teenager, drinking out in the elements; nowhere better to be and nowhere else to go.

They started with the cryptic surrealism of ‘Temple Grandin‘ but then fired into ‘Distance’, the drummer laying into the kit and the singer’s acoustic taking a pounding. The difference of these two songs exemplifies their greatest extremes: colourful and heartfelt compositions as well as glorious punk tumult – each being delivered with a witty and sardonic urgency. On the recording, the line: “sorry guys, here’s a solo”, is sung with a wry reluctance, but it was turned into absolute ecstasy as he flew to his knees and fired off the solo. The transformative essence of the live show shedding light onto things otherwise vague or left unsaid. Standing there, watching this man having to apologise for a solo he absolutely loved to play, was intoxicating in its joy.

Andrew Jackson Jihad at WTFest

Their set took us from one musical landmark to the next. The diversity of sound and ability to go through cold cynicism as well as heart-wrenching tenderness encapsulates perfectly, the complex intellect of the band. They knew exactly what do with the songs, their use of the stage and sense of drama exuded a professionalism and attention to detail incomparable.

Halfway through, the band left the stage in order for the singer, Sean Bonnette, to perform ‘Do, Re, and Me’ solo. Bonnette sings solemn and alone, however finding time for the odd scissor kick at the right moment – as if there’s ever a wrong one. The band came back in for the next song, ‘Back Pack‘. They are not truly complete however until the cellist, dubbed “Gnarles Markley” by an audience member (his name being Mark) came on and completed the five piece.

The set ended with the song ‘Big Bird’ and Bonnette plummeting into the audience and being toppled in return. He fell to his knees to sing the lyrics and everyone surrounding him did the same. The set ended there, with him on his knees and everyone happy to do the same, just to see eye-to-eye.

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After the band had packed away their gear and retreated back stage I was able to have a chat with singer, Sean Bonnete. Among other things, I asked him to recommend a few things:

A movie: Some Kind of a Monster – Yes, the Metallica documentary.
For how it portrays their process at that point in their career, showing the struggle.

A book: IQ84 – Haruki Murakami.
For how it shows the “fallibility of memory”.

An album: New Skin for Old Ceremony – Leonard Cohen.
For its instrumentation.

Images courtesy of Max Laisina

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