For devotees of Sharon Jones, the first of her three sold-out Melbourne shows must have felt like manna from Motown.
For others – whether curious observers or otherwise – the two hours of unrelenting horn ‘n’ funk may have led to them fiddling for keys and scoping for the least noticeable Corner Hotel exit.
It feels sacrilegious criticising an artist as revered as Sharon Jones. The former jail guard turned soul powerhouse is much loved and sinks every ounce of her big-hearted five feet frame into a live show.
Flanked by her fellow Dapettes (i.e. back-up singers) and Dap-Kings (i.e. the rest of the band), she delivers a scintillating mix for the first half of the show and the capacity crowd funk their hips accordingly.
Unfortunately, the vibe dissipates for the second half, resulting in the concluding hour becoming more of an effort than an enjoyment.
Although the likes of ‘100 Days, 100 Nights’, ‘Keep On Looking’, ‘How Long Do I Have To Wait For You?’ and ‘Natural Born Lover’ are unleashed with the expected vitality, they tend to blur into one long repetitive jam.
In a live environment, the songs lose the emotional wallop infused within their recorded counterparts. There is a diversity and pain within albums such as I Learned The Hard Way and Dap Dippin’ that gets compromised amidst the Dap-Kings’ live wall of sound.
Prior to the New Yorkers’ appearance, the Menahan Street Band unleashed their instrumental funk and were joined by fellow Daptone Records counterpart Charles Bradley.
Bradley provides one of the night’s highlights despite appearing for little more than fifteen minutes. His voice bemoans a life steeped in tragedy and this is reflected in his gut-wrenching delivery
It is this instrument – as well as his humble manner – that impresses a crowd already bursting at the Corner’s britches.
Although a few minor sound difficulties catch the ire of Jones early on in her set, she and her band are quick to bounce back to form. It’s a sign of professionalism from an artist who provides the best modern example of an era long past; a time when the likes of James Brown and The Parliaments gave Motown its dirty groove.
In addition to her pipes, Jones also understands the role of theatrics and keeping n audience involved.
As has become part of her repertoire, she regularly gets folks from both genders to shake what they’ve got up on stage. In this case, it is during the wonderful ‘Window Shopping’ – a metaphor for cheekily checking out what else is on the ‘market’ – where she hoists half of the front row up alongside her.
It proves a 56-year-old can dance as well – if not better – than those half her age.
Prior to the encore, Jones quickly excuses herself to leave guitarist Binky Griptite to repeat his spruiking of the band’s website. It’s harmless, though slightly grating, considering it was mentioned during his intro emcee duties too.
Nonetheless, Jones makes up for any redundant self-promotion by returning to the stage and unleashing her trademark ‘funky chicken’. The remaining Dap-Kings and Dapettes also get the opportunity to demonstrate their chops via a series of solos.
All of these antics tend to deviate from the somewhat repetitive nature of the show.
Still, as far as Sharon Jones and her Dap-Kings are concerned, the view of a neutral observer is about as important as what a duck eats for breakfast. Their priority is to ensure their fans get every bit of value out of their $57 plus booking fee ticket.
Judging by the resulting applause and hollering, they achieved that with a funky break or two to spare.
