29/1/2019 Jelly @ The Monarch

I'm back at The Monarch for the second time in a few days - it's turning into one of Camden's better known venues. Unfortunately the beer is expensive here these days and this pub no longer bothers to serve real ale, so it's not a great place to drink as far as I'm concerned, but otherwise it's not a bad little venue. Unfortunately I miss the first band the splendidly named Inglourious Thundercunts - it's always a struggle to get into town early enough on a Tuesday night after a day at work to catch support bands. A shame as I've been wanting to see this band for a while.

Randy Savages are another band who keep cropping up in support slots and I don't get to the gig early enough to see them. Tonight is much the same and I arrive at the end of their set.

They are noisy, but don't make much of an impression on me apart from that in the short amount of time I see them.

I'm here to see Jelly. Although I have seen them many times and have always liked this band, it's quite a while since I've seen them and things have changed - one of those things being the singer. Again. To be honest I'm starting to lose track a bit. Like the band's previous frontmen this guy can certainly sing, but I'm not as convinced by his stage presence.

The band's setlist has also changed a lot - so much so that I hardly recognise any of the songs they play tonight and they only play one or two songs from their excellent first album Troubadour, Wizard, The Queen and The Machine. I obviously have some catching up to do!

As always the band's performance of pop/rock/alt is slick, polished, and professional. - but I feel like I am seeing a new band for the first time. I shall have to make an effort to try and see them more regularly again, but other factors have led to a big decrease in the amount of gigs I have been to over the past couple of years....