A soulful, slow-burn opening from Edgar Jones gives way to a relentless, sax-fuelled storm as Jim Jones All Stars turn Birkenhead into a sweat-soaked wall of sound that never lets up.
Future Yard in Birkenhead plays host to a night that feels less like a gig and more like a gathering of true believers.
Before the full force of Jim Jones All Stars takes over, Edgar Jones sets the tone with a blues-infused solo set drawn from Music for Stray Cats. The room isn’t quite full at first, but he doesn’t seem concerned. There’s no sense of playing to numbers, just a deep, soulful run through rhythm and blues that feels effortless and assured.
There’s a touch of chat between songs, and that relaxed, humorous presence carries through the set, with tracks flowing seamlessly into one another. The sound gradually expands too, picking up subtle gospel warmth that lifts the blues foundation without ever breaking its calm groove.
A slower moment arrives with “What’s Going Down with Honey Brown,” a mellow dip that draws the room in closer before the set rebuilds again. From there, the response is solid throughout, applause after every song, and by the time “You Do Don’t You Though” lands, the crowd is fully locked in. As the set progresses, the room continues to fill, shifting from early hush to full attention. By the end, it feels clear Edgar Jones could easily carry the night as a headliner in his own right, a commanding and understated presence. His new single “Vent,” a double A-side,” hints at plenty more to come.
Time for Jim Jones All Stars, and what an entrance. A cacophony of sound spills into the room, saxophones, horns, keys all colliding in a loose, chaotic build before snapping suddenly into formation and kicking the set into life. It’s immediate impact, a jolt of energy that stands in sharp contrast to the stripped-back intimacy of Edgar Jones’ set.
What follows is controlled chaos at full tilt. Relentless, in-your-face, high-volume rock and roll that doesn’t let up for a second. Sax solos rip through the mix constantly, wild and unrestrained, pushing right up to the edge of overload while the band holds everything together underneath it.
Jim Jones leads it all with a full-on vocal onslaught, needing to be strong to cut through a band this powerful, and he is. At times, his delivery even carries echoes of early Rolling Stones grit and swagger, sitting perfectly within the band’s raw, driving force.
The crowd are completely absorbed, fully engaged in the sonic overload. People are dancing, cheering, and pressed tightly toward the stage, unable to get close enough as the energy surges forward without pause. There’s not a huge amount of interaction from the band, but it doesn’t matter, this is about momentum, volume, and shared intensity rather than conversation.
And it never really lets up. From start to finish it’s a sustained push of sound and energy, a tight, in-sync unit clearly loving every second of playing together and for the crowd. It’s non-stop, relentless, and physically draining just to watch, an all-out performance that leaves the room buzzing, breathless, and fully satisfied.