JET – O2 Ritz, Manchester: Live Review

By At The Barrier on 10th October 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

JET, Tempesst – The O2 Ritz, Manchester – Tuesday 8th October 2024

jet

Twenty years of Get Born. The return of Jet. And judging by the turn out at the O2 Ritz and reports from the other dates in Europe, demand is high and it seems trite to say that the guys of Jet are welcome back. Some riotous footage from the dates in Glasgow and Belfast mean that Manchester has a lot to live up to.

The tour arrives at a time of resurgence for the band as they get set to release their fourth album in 2025, but tonight is about Get Born being reborn. As far as debut albums go, it’s perhaps one that despite its huge/Platinum tinged international impact, has dipped the radar, so no better time for a reboot. A full run through from tip to toe is a massive enough incentive for the hordes to turn out and support this tour.

But first there’s an aperitif with four songs that whet the appetite. With no big intro or announcement, the quintet stroll onto stage nonchalantly. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is is not just a class opening song; it’s a clear message and statement of intent and it’s not long at all before the My Sharona-esque riff to She’s A Genius has the crowd lit and hollering back the words. The pattern for the evening is set.

“It’s been a while,” says Nic Cester. We know. Of course it has, but before we get reborn, there’s a new one in Hurry Hurry to complete he opening flurry. The strong Aussie band tropes are still strong – the AC/DC / INXS / Airbourne guys can rest easy in the knowledge that Jet have the chops to keep the fire burning bright. And so as Cameron Muncey strips off his jacket to reveal the sort of glittery decorations on his shirt matched by the fashion conscious in the front rows, off we go.

iggy bounce and swagger

The crowd are in the spotlight again singing the full first verse to the Iggy bounce and swagger of the hit single Are You Gonna Be My Girl and observing from the balcony, there’s an obvious joy spilling from those who wave and jig crazily, even a mosh pit-lite at a couple of points.

Louis Macklin’s keys might be a little understated and dip below the radar but his piano notes tumble in Get What You Need and he’s working the Hammond sound on the easier tempo of Move On.

Nic is busy throwing himself all over the stage, mounting the bass drum and speaker stacks whilst avoiding those with a clear ‘NO’ sign taped to their tops. Health & safety at its best and built into the Get Born sequence are moments such as Radio Song where the pace might be easier but the singalong opportunities remain in place. The latter is the calm before the storm that comes in the sequence where Get Me Outta Here sets the standard for Cold Hard Bitch and Take It Or Leave It to follow and provide a furious barrage of high quality riffage.

A genuine tribute to these songs and this album that clearly means a lot to a lot of people. It’s been an exhausting set and quite apt that they conclude the main set with an easy Timothy before an encore where mass singalongs and mighty riffs have one final chance to Rip It Up that puts a final seal on the evening. An evening of not just nostalgia but affirmation that Jet have bought fully into the notion of being an ongoing concern.

tempesst

And as we say ‘always see the support band’. Accompanying Jet is Tempesst. A quartet who deliver a set of two guitar cool Rock ahead of what they promise is going to be “a genuine rock show.” The combination of dreamy chords and textures with a reverbed lead that pierces into the ether has them recalling Must Be A Dream from their debut, whilst there are shades of Nick Cave in some of the denser desert Rock grooves that emerge from the deep tones of the toms. A perfect match for lyrics that speak of emerging out of the darkness and into the light.

The tempos (and seemingly the volume) are picked up for Tidal Wave – “one we haven’t played for a long time” – and with a nod to the prospect of a new album, Forbidden Fruit, out in November (and we also note and plug another gig in Manchester at Yes in March 2025), we also get the tease of a new Long Way Down and a brand new single, Waste It With You and the sensations of the intense Cave-ness which is part of their armoury, again emerges.

A quick shout out comes from the stage for guitarist Eric Weber’s parents – top folks who’ve traveled from Switzerland (his dad is Swiss, mum is from the US…it’s complicated…) and who we share a space on the balcony as they admire our wonderful venue and enjoy the headliners.