Jeremy Loops @ the Waterfront
An extended sugar rush
It’s not every day you get to see a man-bunned South African bounce out on stage fistbumping the front row in time to mouth organ blasts but here it is, most definitely happening in front of me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. This is Jeremy Loops who, I’ll have you know, is a musician, not a bold move into the cereal market by Corbyn or Clarkson. A musician who makes a rather big deal of being able to use a loop pedal (…get it?) You’d assume, perhaps, that I’m jesting. But no, The Big J does in fact take a moment to explain this marvellous piece of musical tech to the Waterfront crowd in a way such as Galileo might have revealed that the Earth does in fact go around the sun. Such wonder. Thanks Jeremy. Good talk.
Anyway there was some music and let’s talk about that. Loops (…get it yet?) pushes a somewhat interesting blend of pop-folk-dub-jazz-hip hop sound that, if nothing else, is performed with unending energy and commitment. Unfortunately it’s also completely disjointed. Sort of decent tracks like Down South and Sinner get hidden behind a mash of songs that are hardly memorable and, at their worst, come so very very close to resembling holiday park entertainment numbers. At times I half expected a hoard of eight-year-olds to be sliding around the floor on their knees being chased by tired grandparents.
If this seems harsh then it well may be. The Waterfront is sold out and I’ve never seen the studio move to a gig like this. Arms are flying around wall to wall and fifteen people deep. My fellow adult human beings appear to be having a good time. Which is confusing to me, given that I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what’s going on through the beatboxing and the saxophone solos and the children’s toy played through the microphone – and I assure you that last one really happened. Loops (…how about now?) and his band are no doubt talented but this seems like a huge swing followed by a massive miss. If you’re after a night that feels a bit like an extended sugar rush then this might be your jam, but if not then steer well clear.
