Arts Club Liverpool played host this week to a night of music guaranteed to get the crowds moving. At the heart of this was jazz-funk eight-piece, George and the Jungle.
Providing a whirlwind of chaos onstage, the band provided a sensational energy that gripped the audience from the very first note. To open the set, the band had breathed a new lease of life into one of their oldest tracks, Lizzie. Met with great cheer and applause for the crowd, the brass section added great dimension not just to the song, but the whole set.
It was apparent that a lot of work and coordination had gone into the set, as every single element of the band and their music was so tight and well timed. I often find it’s easy for more populated bands to appear discombobulated and sporadic, but not George and the Jungle. Every member of the band received their moment in the spotlight, including an incredible synth solo from Can Kutulu, followed by the most incredible saxophone solo I have ever witnessed live from saxophonist Leon Storer during the as-yet-untitled “Bouncy One”, prompting frontman George Gaskell to mutter “holy sh*t” in utter disbelief. The stop-start rhythm of the track hailed raucous whooping and cheering from the crowd, who were reeled in by the magic and the showmanship behind each solo. When the members of the band weren’t flaunting their incredible talents individually, they worked collaboratively to create a really polished and well-timed performance without losing so much as a shred of the fiery dynamic that was present throughout.
Amidst the chaos of the more lively songs, the band were able to slow the pace for a stoic ballad, Life in the Glass. Still adorned with all the beautiful embellishments of the other tracks, the song focuses heavily on the vocals, bringing an air of melancholy into the room. It balanced very well with the following track, Honey Moon, featuring guest vocals from Danelia that provided the most spine-tingling harmonies; notably as the song reached a screeching pinnacle, lingering on the lyric “and my teeth itch when you call my name” just moments before the drums come crashing back in. Moments like those really stuck with me long after the gig had finished, and the more I thought about them, the more I appreciated them.
Their set wrapped up with the most phenomenal instrumental piece, aptly titled Funky One. The track builds the funkiest bassline, gradually introducing more and more layers and depth as it progresses. The drumming is consistently fantastic, as was true throughout the rest of the set. Never have I seen a room light up and come to life with the speed in which the Arts Club did for the closing number – not a soul in the room was still. Everyone was dancing, grooving, and the cheering was so loud at points that it could be easily heard over the music.
George and the Jungle are definitely a band to keep an eye out for. To have such an accomplished live set at the beginning of their career as a band is something of a rarity. If you get the opportunity, you absolutely have to see them live. Fun is nothing short of a guarantee.
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