ROBERT JON & THE WRECK - FOLKESTONE QUARTERHOUSE THURSDAY 1ST MAY 2025
Reviewed by Laura DQ • 4 May 2025
A self-professed man of few words, Robert Jon Burrison admits he’s content to let the music do the talking. And really, anything else is unnecessary, because to watch Robert Jon & the Wreck is to witness one of the finest live acts on the circuit. It’s a joy to see the Californian five-some back in Folkestone, packing out the modest Quarterhouse a second time. The abundance of t-shirts on display suggest many of these fans were here on the first occasion, understandably lured back for more of this utterly joyful, 70s influenced, Southern fried rock and roll (or should that be rock and soul?).
Tonight, there’s no support, so it’s straight in with ‘The Devil is Your Only Friend’, a song that showcases the band’s gloriously old-school approach, the groovy guitar riff doubled up with keyboard, strongly cementing my belief that all great bands need a keyboard player (particularly one as good as Jake Abernathie). The funky ‘Trouble’ follows, the rhythm section masterfully handling the irresistible bounce that makes this cautionary tale so darn catchy. It’s not the only time the band prove they can funk with the best of them, bassist Warren Murrel and drummer Andrew Espantman injecting ‘High Time’ with restless energy.
‘Everyday’ is masterful, sprawling more than its studio counterpart, and revealing Henry James as a bonafide guitar hero, stepping up front for some truly spectacular solos that result in rapturous applause from a notably impressed crowd. He looks like a star with his big hair and snazzy retro threads, but sounds even better, his inspired flourishes enhancing every song but never threatening to overwhelm.
There are glimpses of forthcoming album ‘Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes’ as the evening progresses, the mellow, harmony laden ‘Ashes in the Snow’ contrasting nicely with the thunderous ‘Sittin’ Pretty’, a song that makes spectacular use of stop start dynamics, leaving Burrison’s voice exposed between frantic blasts of full band fury. Recent single ‘Highway’ is sweetly melodic, boasting a chorus that feels immediately familiar.
It becomes clear that melody is at the heart of everything the band do, lovelorn ballad ‘Gold’ nestling comfortably between the atmospheric ‘Ballad of a Broken Hearted Man’ and an uplifting ‘Oh Miss Carolina’, the latter so infectious that it generates the most enthusiastic singalong of the evening. Though very different songs, all centre around memorable choruses and Burrison’s gently Southern vocal delivery.
The band are inevitably summoned back to the stage for encores, and opt for ‘Tired of Drinking Alone’ and the Allman Brothers-esque ‘Do You Remember’ with its lovely twin guitar hook, the perfect conclusion to an evening of top tier Wreck and roll. Two hours pass in a flash, the mark of an unmissable performance. Don’t let anyone tell you that they don’t make bands like this any more, Robert Jon & the Wreck prove that that still do.
Phone photos by Laura DQ