Blue Jungle – Live in New York City

After a year of frequent ‘e-messaging’ back and forth, it was finally going to happen. Blue Jungle would be bringing their dark, reverb-drenched show to New York City. This is a band I have had my eye (and ears) on for a while now. As the months passed, their sound and attitude became embedded into my subconscious. Their self-professed influences could have been handed picked out of my own personal music collection – for example – The Gun Club, Jesus and the Mary Chain, Suicide, the Cramps, Galaxie 500, Can, The Cure, Siouxie Sioux, The Stooges, Television, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, The Dandy Warhols, The Ronettes, Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers, The Ramones, the New York Dolls – they list a few others, but those are the one’s closest to me. Always keeping track of where they were playing and what was going on in their world, I was never really sure when (or if) they would make the trek to the east coast

Of course I had all of their music. Had been playing it in a semi-regular rotation ever since it made its way into my sonic sensory zone. Earlier this year the band released its first full length album “Baby Don’t Cry” and I was fortunate enough to get on both CD and Vinyl. In addition to all that, the group’s vocalist – an exotic and punky female chanteuse who goes by the name of Lately Blu Blu – had put out a solo CD of more introspective, acoustic numbers, and I had that too.

Still, there is nothing like seeing a band live and in the flesh, so it was with more than just a little bit of excitement and anticipation that I headed on down to the music venue known as Cameo in Brooklyn (which is intertwined with The Lovin Cup bar/restaurant) on Thursday October 8, 2009 – for my (and New York’s) first ever Blue Jungle show.

As is often the case of a touring band who travel from city to city (and in most cases, state to state, some great distances in one shot) there can be a bit of confusion in finding the next venue. As I had a somewhat pre-established relationship with Ms. Blu Blu (we had exchanged more than a few messages, and exchanged mobile numbers in anticipation of this eventual meeting) there was a bit of animated texting back and forth as to the exact location of the venue (which I had already been standing in front of – they – “lost” temporarily somewhere in Brooklyn). Like most rock shows, set times are often vague and the band did eventually arrive. One by one, the members stumbled out of the van – until I caught my first glimpse of the rock & roll princess herself – polishing off a champagne bottle (no dainty glass needed) before giving me the old I-feel-like-I’ve-known-you-forever-even-though-we-are-just-meeting hug. But, there was no time for casual frivolity, as equipment had to be hustled out of the van and lugged into the venue. Oh, the joys of a traveling road show.

They opened their first ever live show in New York with a song that is not on their album. The song called “Do Or Die” is something apparently slotted for their follow-up record. The sound was unmistakable, however, as the signature reverb-laden guitars of Nosebleed (stage left) and Cory Hurricane (to the right) perfectly supported the Patti Smith-style vocals of Lately Blu Blu. Enhancing the vocals (and visual style) is yet-another mysterious dark-haired, dark-eyed female vocalist named Paley King. Paley sings backup exclusively, adding those all too necessary “ooooh’s” and “ahhhh’s”. She also provides vital tambourine shakes that solidifes the 50’s-through-60’s-through-90’s-through all the way to today feel. Rounding out the band is the rock solid rhythm section of Yayo on bass and William Guns on the drums.

Cameo itself is a uniquely interesting venue. The club has extremely low lighting (terrible for video recording or photography without a flash) but a great scuplture overhead that reflects the lights. So audience shot video clips often look like scenes out of a Warhol movie. The band then played their biting social commentary song called “Loser.” In it, Lately sings about all these “American Idol” hopefuls, and how this pursuit just turns them into a bunch of “loser’s”. Musically wrapped in an amusing “rah, rah, sis-boom-bah” package.

Following that was another new one (not on the debut album) called “Tropical Fantasy”. Lots of great vocal interplay between Lately and Paley. The music chugs forward with chunky rhythm chords till the great “round and round and round and round” bridge. It’s a fast moving rollercoaster ride with a decidely 50’s vibe. The vocals, anyway. The drums are all trash can throttling while Nosebleed and Corey rip modern day guitar chords.

Have a listen here:

Lately Blu Blu is all motion on stage. Jumping up and down, legs kicking, head whipping almost violently side-to-side. And that is when she contains it to just on the stage. Because I would soon discover that she loves to jump down off that riser and get into it with the people in the audience. Bouncing around the dance floor, she’ll think nothing of getting in someone’s face and singing to them personally. Its the kind of wild abandon that had me frequently smirking and busting out laughing. She is like a female Iggy Pop – and, I’ve always been in to Iggy.

Next up was the brilliant album opening track “Oh Suicide,” and the atmospheric feel is immediately established. Rising up from a murky depth, a slow, methodical progression comes into view with chunky guitar chords and thumping drums. Vocalist Lately Blu Blu “ooooh’s” like an apparition over this intro – until the tempo suddenly changes to a quicker, more driving progression. The guitars are now chiming (like Siouxsie & The Banshees, circa 1982) as lately sings “Oh, baby (which echo-y call-and-response ‘oh, baby’s’ behind that) – I’m down on my knees! I’m beggin’ please! – then she drops her voice lower and sings “I’m not the disease” as reverbed voices swirl all around. Meanwhile the Siouxsie-style guitars keep chiming and the drums keep thumping. “Oh, baby (ooooh, baby) – I’ll do what you WANT!” A wall of voices create a solid “ooooooooh” as melodic guitar plucking breaks through – until the tempo once again changes, and slows now, back to the opening sludge thump. Overall, its a brilliant track and a great live performance of it here.

Give a listen here:

Paley adds essential "oooh's" while Cory enhances guitarwise

Nosebleed (fresh from rehab) shows how it should be played

It's a jungle out there. A very Blu one

Cleopatra is bejeweled, and reveals percussive secrets

After the show we all went out to the front restaurant part of the establishment – the Lovin’ Cup. There we had a great time chatting, taking pictures, drinking and eating food. This is more fun than doing a proper interview. It’s actually living a moment with a band on tour. Yes, I’m still living my “rock & roll dream” – vicariously.

Meeting the princess of Blu

The following night, Blue Jungle played at a Brooklyn loft-space called Shea Stadium. One of those big converted apartment type show-spaces that have been completely renovated to be a music venue. You know you are at the space (despite having to drive down a non-descript industrial block) when you can spot (and hear) the patrons out on the smoking roof/balcony. Its a big, spacious room and the sound system is of a high quality.

Welcome to the Jungle - merch

Blue Jungle were scheduled to follow a duo who call themsleves Young Boys. They have an amusing band button (that they give out) that read’s “I hate young boys”. I liked their drum machine driven two guitar attack that clearly looks to the Jesus and Mary Chain as sound and visual style role models.

The Jungle were up next and they did not disappoint.

Opening this night’s show with “Do Or Die” again, it took them a minute to find their bearings. Soon enough though, the band’s Ramones-style forward truding would inspire Lately to jump out on the dance floor and engage the audience. Leaping about, she dances on the edge of a working lead vocalist in a band and someone almost unhinged and dangerous. There were a few patrons who were left feeling a little unsettled. I thought it was glorious. “Tropical Fantasy” followed that, and the bridge to this one gets me every time. Its a brilliant combination of beachboys surf, Dead Boys trash and of course, Ms. Blu Blu’s one of a kind personality. She ended the song by banging the microphone on the floor. Very punk.

Another new (non album track) played was called “Vicious Eyes”. The central riff fluctuates back and forth between two chords while Ms. Blu Blu gets in the face of additional audience members and provides further angsty wailing. Background vocalist Paley King adds nice distant “ooooh oooooh’s”. to complete the twisted 60’s surf-meets-blues saga.

Picking up the pace, the band unleashed a high-energy version of “I’m A Ninja,” which is included on their brilliant debut album. In addition to the Sex Pisols-style progression is a wonderful vocal vocal rise that goes “Oooooooh YEAH!”. You can just picture Ninja’s swinging Samurai Swords (Uma Thurman in Kill Bill?) to the beat.

Lately goes up on an amp to prove her point

Dancing out on the floor with the audience

Saving the best for last, the band delivered an inspired version of their brilliant song “Mean Things.” Right out the box it kicks in with a driving guitar rhythm that immediately brings to mind everything I love about bands like The Raveonettes, The Jesus & Mary Chain and any other group that ever took that 60’s “Peter Gunn” sound and melded into their own. “I love everything you do to me,” Lately sings. “Even when those things are really mean.” Oh, yeah – this girl is a little bit twisted (maybe more than a little). But there is an honestly to her voice that gives the true sense that nothing is being faked or “posed” here. She continues that “you’re that evil Sunday in your eyes” (with echo-y, slightly eerie backround vocals repeaing the “your eyes” lines). The music gets more forceful now. The guitars are chugging harder, the band playing thrashing furiously as Lately breathes her bold, ethereal “aaaaaaaah’s” over it all. She continues “every little thing you do to me. I like quite more – when its mean.” So, now its progressed from “even when” to “like quite more”. Oh, yes. There’s something twisted here. “You’re that evil Sunday in your smile” she wails. The band thunders on. It’s ferocious. Guitars chime and throttle, drums thunder and all ends on a crash. Like crashing a car. On a crazed joy ride.

Nosebleed crunches power chords

Nosebleed crunches power chords

Listen to their performance of “Mean Things” on this night:

The Terminator of Rock & Roll

Pretty Blue Jungle fans strike a pose

Find out anything else you need to know about Blue Jungle here:

http://www.myspace.com/bbluejungle

and here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Blue-Jungle/50381509474?v=wall

And get up to the minute show info here:

http://twitter.com/Blue_Jungle

-Dave Cromwell