Miscellaneous - Arts Theatre, London, 1/3/2006

  by Dave Toynton

published: 20 / 3 / 2006

intro

At one of their first London shows, Dave Toynton watches Australian hardcore punk group Jaed play a blistering set

Jaed are an Australian punk trio consisting of Gregg on bass, Matt on drums and Vanessa on vocals. The Arts Theatre in Frith Street, where they played a London date on their first British tour, is a tiny venue. It also has a pretty ropy PA, which I thought was really going to put them to the test, but they were more than able to do themselves justice. The first song they played in their set was called 'Catherine'. It was a great song to start with as it lasts just under a minute. Jaed's influences come from bands such as the Distillers, Hole and also the Pixies. The second song they did was 'Gutter Girl', which, a recent download only single, is very Courtney Love influenced, but properly their most commercial song to date. Jaed's songs combine fast raunchy guitar with very strong lyrics, many of a sexual nature. 'Gutter Girl' tells of the abusive relationship Vanessa had with her father and how he kicked her out into the street at the age of 16 with a drug habit. It is very powerful stuff!! This was followed by other such gems as 'My Way', which is their current UK single ; 'Scream', which is a more melodic song and 'Waiting', which shows Jaed to be more than just a loud punk act and is a lovely ballad. All in all I had a great time. I hope to hear more from them. Their recently released on CD debut album, 'Dirty Days', is well worth seeking out.

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