The JB Conspiracy are back with a new album and a UK tour to accompany it, so it was only natural that we headed down to one of the dates.
Opening the Manchester date at Roadhouse was Odd Squad. Although they weren’t hugely memorable, with nothing really standing out about them, what was good about this four-piece was that they truly gave the performance their all – which really counts for a lot, and were a good choice to open the show as a result.
The second band of the night was Landmarks, who kicked things up a notch. Their frontman Liam was awesome and made a lot of effort to engage with the crowd, whether this was by instructing everyone to sing along to a section of one of their songs that sampled Keep On Movin’ by Five or even by climbing up on top of the large monitors in front of the stage. They showed a lot of potential within their set and it will be interesting to see where this band goes next.
Of course, it was The JB Conspiracy‘s night and they really shone, playing the best show I’ve personally witnessed from them. Opening with brand new track The Storm, the aural assault on your ears from the extremely tight combination of the alto & tenor saxes and the trumpet & trombone was something to behold! This was immediately followed by Start Listening which saw both saxophonists climb up onto the monitors before barrelling into the crowd at full-pelt: WOW!
After a fresh twist on their song Up In Smoke, they treated the crowd to another new track Drop Your Anchor, which was so catchy and memorable that I could practically sing along by the time the track came to a close! This is evident of some seriously awesome songwriting if it can worm its way into my head upon my first listen of it.
A particular highlight of the set was Say Goodbye, which saw the crowd getting involved to sing the line “so we wait for this moment to arrive” in an almost a cappella style – it was incredible to a part of – and the band closed with This Machine, with the room erupting into dance with everyone knowing it was their last chance to get involved. It was incredible to see and was the perfect ending to a fantastic gig.
The JB Conspiracy are a band that are on top of their live game right now. They’re just so together, and the movement and energy exhibited by every single member in the eight-piece was something to behold. They really do need to be seen live to be fully appreciated, so get your tickets in for their next show near you!
10/10
