Carl Barât and The Jackals deliver thunderous Newcastle Performance!

Carl Barât and The Jackals @ Think Tank, Newcastle 25/05/2017

A hot sweaty, intimate venue that screams rock and roll – the Think Tank was the logical choice for Carl Barât and The Jackals. It represents the up close and personal setting were Carl cut his teeth with The Libertines almost 20 years ago, and he looks happier than ever to be doing it all again.

But, The Jackels aren’t resting on the laurels of The Libertines. They’re not there to live off Carl’s name. These guys are extremely talented musicians, and they’re in it for the long haul.

By the time they entered the stage in their leather clad Jackals’ jackets, the Think Tank was already at boiling point, after a rare sunny day on Tyneside. A brief introduction and they raced into the brilliant Victory Gin, a guitar rock gem filled with beautiful song along appeal.

Next up was Glory Days and the Geordie crowd were lapping up every note and screaming back the words of a track that incorporates all the rock elements of Carl’s back catalogue and mixes them with the exciting full throttle energy of The Jackals.

Today marks the release of Carl Barat and The Jackals new EP, Harder They Fall, and fans were treated to all four songs (Sister, Burning Cars, Ramona and Cracks) last night. First up was Sister, which opens with Billy Tessio on lead vocals, before Carl and Adam join in for a fast paced, story telling approach that shows the diversity of the ambitious four piece.

Harder They Fall marks an exciting new direction for The Jackals, with an alternative rock side on show, with Burning Cars in particular offering a real stand out appeal. The harmonised, yet rugged approach creates for an eclectic, racing rock spin on the late noughties Thames Beat craze, making for an on stage gem.

After a full throttle set that included the brilliant ballad Let It Reign, The Jackals set the Think Tank alight with Bang Bang Your Dead. The jaunty The Dirty Pretty Things favourite received an explosive response and got people jumping and belting out the lyrics in a style the iconic tune deserves.

After a quick break, The Jackals arrived back on stage, going gung-ho with an encore that included Gin & Milk, Death On The Stairs and A Storm Is Coming, before bringing the set to a close with a truly phenomenal rendition of I Get Along.

Carl Barât looks like a man revitalised. On stage, he looks like a man who has been set free, and the chemistry of this band is something to behold. Before the show Adam and Billy spoke of the bond between The Jackals, and that was clear to see from all four members, who genuinely looked like they loved every moment on stage.

The Jackals have a busy summer ahead, with plenty of shows scheduled, and if you’ve got any sense at all, you will get yourself to a show!

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