Reviews – Live
Jerry Lee Lewis live at the 100 Club London
The original ‘Hell raiser’ returns to London for a couple of cliquey dates to intimate crowds of rock and roll yuppies: After all, who else could afford the £100+ tickets for Jerry to show us that he still has it, albeit in a doddery kind of way?! It was 50 years ago he first touched on our British shores shrouded in controversy of the marriage to his 13 year old first cousin removed. Now we have that out of the way, let’s move on to what an absolute legend he is, having bought us ‘Great Balls Of Fire’ and the template of a debauched front man that many have emulated since. Knocking around with the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis influenced his unconventional style, which was born at a very young age by his parent’s re-mortgaging their farm to buy him a piano and their surrounding him in church music. The Boogie Woogie Rock and Roll styles and some rather risqué lyrics such as ‘Whole Lotta Shakin Going On’ led to him playing what was coined at the time as “Devils music” and lends the opportunity to insert a bygone quote: “Yes, I am. [playing devils music]. But you know its strange, the same music they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don’t’.
The gig was supported by Ricky Cool and the Hoola Boola Boys playing rock and roll fit for the night, it was their 2nd time at the 100 Club having been asked back by popular demand it was more than a pleasure to warm up for Jerry. The silver boy band show their years of cumulated experience in an enigmatic performance that is beautifully in sync and are clearly having a lot of fun. Their personalities show through playing, adorned in themed shirts and leopard skin shoes and the stylised singing, dancing and chatting up the crowd kinda way.
Jerry finally made it onto the stage after a couple of tracks from his band (the guitar player sporting what looked like a broken nose, with Jerry’s past reputation one wondered what happened back stage…) who looked like a bunch of Hollywood throw backs and Father Christmas. He looked frail and old yet groomed and immaculate; expensive suite, slicked backed hair and a stern look suggesting that he still had it in him if anyone played up. Once seated at the Baby Grand it was hard to imagine it was the same old man, firstly due to the lay out of the 100 Club you couldn’t bloody see him and secondly his playing was tight and passionate and his voice still strong. As the epic tracks were banged out it became very real what this man has achieved and was really quite humbling, particulay for the hardcore fans. Mixed reviews from them though wth some suggesting disappointment in the lack of charisma – can we still expect dancing on the piano? But for most, (including Mark Lamar rocking it in the DJ Booth) it was an amazing evening and probably the last opportunity to witness this. While his set was short the classics were played, busting out his signature moves, dragging his hands across the keys and building up to a crescendo at the end, the electricity omitted from his presence was felt in the close sweaty atmosphere.
Finally escorted back off the stage amidst a ferocious session of flashing cameras it seemed like a scene of the Sopranos. The “Killer” has left the building.
Words: Catherine Pryce
Photos: Mary Pryce
http://www.myspace.com/rickycoolandthehoolaboolaboys
