JON SPENCER AND THE HITMAKERS AT LA BELLE ELECTRIQUE IN GRENOBLE, FRANCE
Jon Spencer is a well-known character in the garage-punk American scene for more almost 40 years, but we had to wait 2018 to listen to his first solo LP, under the name of ‘Spencer Sings the Hits!’. He gathered inside everything that made his success over the years: B-movie aesthetic, recurring guitar riffs that strongly remember dusty blues-rock and rockabilly atmosphere. For sure, we were excited to see him live, joined by the wonderful musicians of the HITmakers.
Opening for them were The Devils. I’ve seen my fair share of weird things in music by now, but really, they were on another level. The Italian duo is well-versed in violent trash punk, maybe too violent for me. Nevertheless, they offered a great sow, efficiently warming up the crowd.
Jon didn’t come alone and on stage, he’s joined by 3 world-class musicians to play his large scoop of sons with him. Mike Sord at the drums, Sam Coomes at the keyboard and Bob Bert at the percussions (yes, yes, not drums), playing on a… trash can? With a hammer? This band is already quite wild, but this adds a definite edgy feeling. The setlist is nicely diverse, with bangers from Pussy Galore and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, as well as his solo album. The public progressively got into the show, responding very warmly to the tunes and dancing in the very crowded venue. In one word: a perfect evening for pioneer blues-rock lovers.