The Jim Jones Revue
Viper Room
By Lucky
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
Photos By Mila Reynaud
SugarBuzz Magazine
Hallelujah my brothers and sisters. I’ve been born again, bathed in the light, baptized by the river, all in the name of rock and roll.
My soul was seeking some spiritual awakening, drowning in mundane mediocrity, the ho-hum drum. Pondering what, or who, to do, I happenstance upon the Viper Room calendar for guidance and possible reprieve from my dilemma. And there it was, a beacon of come hither, in the form of a simple logo, The Jim Jones Revue. I damn near pissed my pants. When was this gathering, I beseeched 
the page, tomorrow night my son, when the clock strikes eight.
The next twenty-fourhours went by, slower than some, damn near not moving like others. Putting on my best Sunday-go-to-meeting, I headed down to the sinful Strip, my hellhole Hollywood. The quiet façade of the darkened hangout lured me, called out, enticed. I could not resist its magnetic pull. Moth to the flame Shugsters! Moth to the flame! The congregation assembled, anticipation in the air, and the Jim Jones Revue knew why we were there.
Like a lightning bolt delivered straight from the sky, the band shook our senses with their wailing rendition of the Richard Penniman (that’s Little Richard to you) hit “Hey Hey Hey Hey”. Full sonic surge shivered up and down my spine. I started to have involuntary spasms, my face starting to squirm, my body twitch, seems the boys had what was gonna scratch my itch.
Beyond a fifties revival, these modern marvels of roots rock, bellow soul, rhythm and blues, and power punk in a twisted turning morph. One hundred and fifty percent on the dime solid. As was my first introduction to “Dishonest John” a song included on their brand new CD entitled “Burning Your House Down” which is currently only available in the UK. Reeling and rocking, the small stage could not contain the combustible energy emulating forth from the bands smoldering 
performance.
Blasting back to their first release, The Jim Jones Revue pulverized with “Rock ‘N’ Roll Psychosis”. Suffering a psychosis of my own, the crowd around me disappeared, the maximum volume of music shattered, and I succumbed to my inner primate. Was Jim Jones the devil incarnate or some mad backwater preacher man, as the spell he cast no man could put asunder.
“Another Daze” kicked in and the sheer intensity of the hot butter twang of Rupert Orton’s TV yellow Gibson Double Cut sliced and diced. Jim snarled and growled with a venomous spew like some sort of riled up rattlesnake. “The biggest mother fucker standing right in my way” was not the case tonight; in fact they got out of my way as the holy rock and roller revival had me testifying.
Down on his knees, arm outreach, beseeching you to sell your soul, Jim Jones took it up a notch to bring you back down from your “High Horse”. Elliot Mortimer just beat the crap out of his keyboard. Boogie-Woogie bad boy on blood stained ivories. (And they used Bon-Ami!). In the piano pantheons Elliot rates right there with other keyboard rock greats like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Reggie Dwight, Billy Preston, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Powell, Leon Russell, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and, well you get the idea.
If the band hadn’t got your attention by now, you were in for a rude awaking with the title track from the new CD, “Burning Your House Down”. Nick Jones’ in the pocket POW accentuated like a wreaking ball. Sheer volume plundered my brain, I didn’t know if I’d ever hear the same again. Fractured feedback and hell hound howl. Break out your talismans.
A double-dose of the medicine man’s elixir was dispensed in the sweet tasting “Shoot First” and “Killing Spree”. Both brand spanking new smashes off of the above mentioned new CD. The hypnosis was strong, all will tear down. The Jim Jones Revue subliminal message was rock and roll for we shall overcome.
Jim did some wildcat screaming asking “Who’s Got Mine?” Rollicking shuffle shanty shimmy ensued. Gavin Jay’s bass (Ibanez Artcore Model?) shook us like the San Andreas Fault was letting loose through his tabernacle of tone. We all got down and dirty, letting it all hang loose.
Cutting the rug with a chain-saw was road tripper “512”. My eyes, burning from the dripping sweat of my brow combined with the intense blind of flooding light, caused hallucinations of the boys mutating into rock demon dogs, or was it really happening, surely they made “the” choice at the crossroads.
With only a few minutes 
of precious time remaining, Jim Jones encouraged a sing along of sorts. The song is called “Elemental” he proclaimed, and the words are easy, “Elemental, Elemental”. The rock ruffians plowed like a force of nature and we were but putty in their hands. I fed off of the monstrous momentum and the charismatic chaos. My transition was near complete.
Heralding the end was near, Jim Jones ushered in back water stomp “Princess and the Frog”. I began to levitate and speak in tongues. Complete euphoria encased my brain. No holds barred onslaught of pristine rock and roll delivered at 100 percent excellent. Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.
After the show and recovery of what was left of my senses, I limped into the night air and ran smack dab into the band where pleasant conversation ensued. Truly great to meet you guys and please come back and rejuvenate Hollywood soon. Jim Jones Revue is firing up a trek through Europe so check out the bands website for dates and locations. I also want to say thank you so much to my new friend Mila Reynaud for the use of her extraordinary pictures from the show. You would be hard press to find a better photographer. So nice to meet you and thanks for 
rocking with me!
~Lucky
www.myspace.com/thejimjonesrevue