A review of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings at the Sage, Gateshead Saturday 19th April

[yorks5stringer]

Any Basschatters out there going to this gig on Saturday and fancy meeting up for a swift half beforehand?

I'm driving up from Yorkshire and can be identified by me carrying a kettle lead......

Edited April 21, 2008 by yorks5stringer

[yorks5stringer]

[center]Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings/ Monte Casino
The Sage, Gateshead April 19th 2008[/center]


Well, as we have seen in Off Topic recently, opinions are like arseholes: everyone’s got one (although not kettle leads) and they’re almost all sh*tty.
Anyway, here’s my opinion on Sharon Jones and the Dap-kings on the last date of their short UK Tour.

Firstly a big shout to Sunderland band Monte Casino who treated us to a short set of Jazz Funk led by the talented Jess Roberts on vocals. Credit to Karl Stobbs on bass also, with some nice playing on what looked like a Modulus from where I was sat. Sartorial note: I knew they were Jazz funk because 3 of them wore hats…..(dons own flameproof hat!)
To find out more:
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Before I move on to Ms Jones and the DK’s playing, whilst waiting at bar I glanced down the stairs (The Sage is a huge multi level venue although our Hall was nice and intimate) only to see the band passing me just below. Abandoning any pretence of cool I started to try and work out which one was bassman Bosco Mann by looking at my copy of their CD in order to go and say “Hi”.
As they were not dressed in stage suits, the moment was soon passed and they were gone backstage: why did I not just go and welcome Miss Jones to Gateshead, get her autograph and then move on to Bosco? Damn!
Did I ever tell about the time I almost got into Bowie’s dressing room at Newcastle City Hall?

Right on to the gig proper. The Dap-Kings came out minus Sharon led by Binky Griptite (sounds like a porno name) on Guitar who handled all the vocal MC’ing.

A number of instrumental and vocal numbers led by Binky heralded the arrival of Sharon Jones. She battled with a dodgy foldback/monitor situation all night and musical director/bassist Bosco Mann coped admirably with her leaving the stage on a number of occasions.

The set was constructed around a James Brown style soul review with songs segueing into each other with short instrumentals led by Bosco on bass. He was the epitome of cool in shades.
Most of the material off the Album “100 Days, 100 Nights” was performed save the title track, and there were a number of earlier songs too.
James Brown’s “Mans World” was given a re-interpretation as was a breakdown into the Funky Chicken, Mashed Potato, Hitchhike and The Swim Dance demonstration by Sharon Jones.

“Answer Me” as an encore led to an extended work out with Sharon Jones berating the sound crew for only getting a decent sound at the end of the gig!
Credit to her powerful vocals however, as much of the time she told us she could not hear herself.

On to bassist Bosco Mann
Needless to say I positioned myself at a diagonal to Bosco in order to be able to watch his playing all night (sad or what?). I didn’t stop grinning from his first note to the last note even though he spent some of his time with his back to the audience directing the band from the middle of the stage, before and after Ms Jones had gone backstage.
He played nothing fancy, but just sat in the groove with the right notes in the right places (sounds obvious) and some nice runs in the inter song seques. The bass sound was better than on Later earlier in the week through a large Ampeg rig.
Credit to the rhythm section and horns too, as I said earlier, Sharon Jones walked off stage a little too often for it to be planned: as soon it happened Bosco implacably led the band into a short 16th note type instrumental with ner a missed beat and dressed in shades he looked so cool!

Whilst there’s a place for your fancy tapping, slappin, and poppin, when I grow up, I want to be a groove(y) bassist like Bosco Mann!

For more on Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings:

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My weekend was complete when I went to watch the Mags beat the Mackems on Sunday, 2-0!

Edited April 20, 2008 by yorks5stringer

[Hot Tub]

Thanks for the review! I'm drooling.... Must get to see them....