The conservatory at the back of multi award-winning vegetarian restaurant The Waiting Room, nestled in Eaglescliffe (Stockton on Tees), is perhaps a surprising venue for the second date of Jon Gomm’s autumn tour – perhaps not. The restaurant has been running for 40 years and has voluntarily supported grassroots music for more than three decades. In recognition of that commitment, it was revealed during the evening that the venue had recently received Arts Council funding towards next year’s events.
Introductions over, shortly after 7.30pm Jon walked onto the stage, picked up his signature Ibanez acoustic guitar, now showing distinctly more wear and tear than it did when I last saw him in 2021, and then stepped off to the side for the opening song. Unplugged indeed, but a gesture that set the tone for the evening.
Tonight’s performance was intimate, warm and filled with Jon’s mesmerising two-handed tapping, harmonics and ever-changing tunings, augmented by a host of percussive rhythms coaxed from the instrument’s body. Once on stage, the soundscape expanded further through his pedalboard, creating a rich, full sound that perfectly complemented his soulful voice.
All of those elements came together beautifully in Cocoon, taken from The Faintest Idea album, which, oddly enough, was released exactly six years before I sat down to write this review. Unfortunately, the tour intended to accompany the album’s release was thwarted by events we all remember only too well in 2020.
The Faintest Idea featured prominently throughout the evening, from the beautiful instrumental The Ghost Inside You to Deep Sea Fishes, introduced with Jon’s characteristic warmth and humour. The same could not be said for Dream Factories, a pointed swipe at television talent shows:
Don’t got no X-Factor inside me”
Having been coached beforehand, the audience joined in with the chorus: “Burn, burn, burn, burn, burn the factories down!”
Not that it really matters, but as I sat absorbed in the music I found myself wondering how many people in the audience were already familiar with Jon’s work. I had expected a louder reaction for Passionflower, his breakthrough piece, which opened the second set. Perhaps it was a sign of fresh ears discovering the music for the first time.
Regardless, with influences spanning blues, jazz, funk and pop, there was always something to draw listeners in. Added to that were a handful of covers. His instrumental arrangement of Erasure’s A Little Respect was wonderful, not a particular favourite of mine beforehand, yet still lodged firmly in my head a week later. The set also retained an organic feel as Jon encouraged audience requests through an APP (or AIP in Jon’s case), resulting in a rendition of Radiohead’s High and Dry. Other covers surfaced more subtly within his own songs, with snippets of Prince’s 1999 and Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill woven seamlessly into the performance.
Covers aside, it is Jon’s own material that forms the heart of his sets, drawing not only on deeply personal experiences but also on the issues and absurdities that frustrate or fascinate him. At times he appeared completely immersed in the music, physically and emotionally drained by the end of a song. The Eastern-tinged The Weather Machine was a prime example.
Perhaps as a release from that intensity, his song introductions were often hilarious. Most memorable was his apology for the seemingly constant retuning of his guitar. Explaining that many songs required different tunings, he offered a cautionary note to aspiring guitarists considering the same path: “Don’t. It’s a f***ing stupid idea.”
The evening ended as it had begun, with Jon once again standing amongst the audience.
There is no customary setlist accompanying this review, as I had not originally planned to write one. The ticket had been a birthday present from my son Callum, who accompanied me, making it a perfect evening in more ways than one. The venue was welcoming and friendly, the audience attentive and respectful throughout, with not a word spoken during the performance.
And then there was Jon Gomm: a multi-instrumentalist on a single instrument. Superb songs, performed by a remarkable musician with warmth, humility and astonishing skill. While I would not change a single minute of this evening, I remain genuinely surprised that Jon Gomm is not playing to stadium-sized audiences.
[Please note the video used in this review was not recorded at the venue]
LINKS
Jon Gomm – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp (Jon Gomm) | Bandcamp (Kscope) | YouTube | X | Instagram
