As 2009 draws to an end, Jet have been chosen by Kia Soul’s Live at the Chapel to close out their
2009 season – which saw appearances from the likes of Lady Gaga and John Mayer. Some may question this choice based on the band’s recent notes – but while
Shaka Rock appeared on many “Worst of
2009” lists, Jet remain one of Australia’s most popular exports around the
world – arguably still riding on the success of Get Born and “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” – and at home in
Australia, with Shaka Rock charting
well, and their recent Homebake performance pleasing many. Indeed it’s a huge honour for any band to be
asked to play the prestigious series, and they are certainly deserving of the
spot.
For the public, it’s an opportunity to see a major artist, in unique, intimate
(and very warm) surroundings – and for the artist, the opportunity to return to
their roots, while playing in the acoustic beauty of a chapel. It was no
surprise, therefore, that this brought forth one of the best performances I’ve
seen from the Melbourne boys for many years.
The set was of course weighted on their most recent LP Shaka Rock, but the songs, for the most
part, shun in the setting – as the band got to show off their skills as
musicians, as much as performers – something which I usually didn’t see in their
standard, fairly boring sets. A couple of crowd pleasers from Shine On, their sophomore LP, were also
thrown in for good measure – and “Come Around Again” from Get Born was a surprise inclusion – a song they admitted to haven’t
played live in many years, however they felt this was an appropriate atmosphere
to throw a few treats our way.
The result? Jet suddenly felt like a band having fun with
their music once again, and this was infectious for the crowd, who found
themselves suddenly enjoying the band once again! I’m still not a fan of their
latest album, but it was great to see the band back in their element – and lets
face it – we don’t often get the opportunity to see a band in a unique venue in
Sydney outside of Sydney Festival… so even when it’s invite only, we always
welcome the experience! And it helped that the band sounded great, and were having a great time – lead singer Nic Cester even throwing a good bit of humorous banter throughout – something I haven’t seen in quite a while.
Fans can catch JET at Kia Soul Live At The Chapel when it airs on the Seven Network at 10am on Sunday, 10th January 2010, and channel [V] at 5pm on Saturday, 6th February 2010.
SETLIST:
She’s A Genius
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Walk
King’s Horses
Come Around Again
Black Hearts (on Fire)
Seventeen
Rip It Up
Encore:
La Di Da
Start The Show
