Reviewed on Thursday July 2
Blue Mountains duo Jones Jnr. were committed to bringing the heat to Newtown on a bitterly cold night with their gospel-tinged hip hop sounds. Ahead of the debut show on their first headline tour, the duo – who are about to hit the road with modern day funk fave Mark Ronson – had set expectations high.
Opening up the night was the standout Sydney band The Venusians, who demonstrated to the crowd just how to balance groove and soul with a heavy indie edge and theatrics (in the form of frontman Christian Hemara). Okenyo then stepped up to keep things on the same high-energy level with her electro/soul style.
Jones Jnr. have paid their dues supporting other acts, from neo-soul’s eccentric Bilal to Kelis and Fat Freddy’s Drop. Now with the release of their debut EP, Step On Sleep, the pair, made up of Thundamentals’ DJ Morgs and Ev Jones, are making the charge to front and centre.
Performing songs from Step On Sleep and their previous mixtapes, and with help from a keys/trumpet player onstage, Jones Jnr. kept the packed-out Newtown Social Club in a trance. This may have been partly due to vocalist Ev Jones’ smooth vocals, which stayed on point whether he was tenderly crooning or swinging across the stage bellowing the upbeat ‘Perfume’.
Jones’ voice rips right into the soul of the listener, channelling eras in music that are long gone, while Morgs’ work on the ones and twos gives Jones Jnr. a gritty, modern edge that allows their soulful spin on R&B to resonate.
