Saturday, March 15, 2014

Shakatak. Live at the Jam house. 5/4/14

80's Jazz-Funk is not really my thing. My dad has recently re-discovered how much he loves Shakatak. So we went to go see them.
The Jam House is a sophisticated-ish bar/gig venue. you can get a burger but have to be in the restaurant part of the building. there is weirdly unsettling artwork scattered on the walls and, tables seated that little bit too far from the stage. overall not my usual choice of venue.
What i already know about Shakatak is that they're one of the most revered of all the 80's jazz-funk bands (i can't think of any others). They've been going a long time and are still very successful around the world (especially in japan). Whether they've ever been cool is another matter, but with 'Get Lucky' being the massive hit it was, i can imagine that a few hipsters may latch onto Shakatak's funky sound.
Whether you like it or not you cannot deny that this is a talented band. Guitar solo's that would have suited any metal anthem were played nonchalantly, while 'George Anderson's slap bass playing proved to be an unexpectedly entertaining highlight. Especially the Bass solo. Jill Salward is also a great singer and frontwoman. Overall the sound was laid back, funky and the rhythms were great to dance too. They finished with a medley of 80's hits such as 'Oops Upside your head' and obviously played all the 80's hits of their own.
Despite not really being into Shakatak or the style I definitely enjoyed the night. My Dad enjoyed it too.

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