Into Live Music Review: Jim Jones All Stars

Concert: Jim Jones All Stars 
Venue: Glasgow Oran Mor
Dates: 9 October 2026

Over a seven day period I popped up to Glasgow to see two concerts. It’s fair to say the gig experiences were polar-opposite. One, Death In Vegas was a slightly tepid affair and quite underwhelming whereas the other, Jim Jones All Stars was red hot and wild, as far from lukewarm as you can get. The band seemed to be at a permanent boiling point, fizzing with raw energy, passion and desire for playing real rock and roll music for their adoring audience.

I’ve seen Jim Jones in the distant past when he fronted Thee Hypnotics and since then he has continued to excel, through the Jim Jones Revue, The Righteous Mind and now with the All Stars. The music has changed too, early psychedelic garage via piano tinged manic gospel rock and roll, moody cinema-esque noir to the current blues stomp that somehow captures all these previous themes with a seven-piece band that are hell bent on having the best of time on the live stage.

Before all that, we were treated to a fantastic set from support act Edgar Jones. Fair to say it’s been a busy time for Edgar, his new album with the Gnostic 5, Doo Woppin For Jesus has just been released and tracks such as On Your Way To Heaven Anyhow featured as did the recent stand alone single Turning Point USA. Jones has such a far reaching falsetto voice and coupled with his dexterous and virtuous guitar playing made for a short but enjoyable set which closed with a wonderous cover of Oscar Brown’s The Snake, those northern soul vibes leading to a few involuntary hip swivels!

Back to the main action and Jim Jones All Stars took to the stage with a clear attitude (only the best rock and roll bands have), sharply dressed, plugged in and for the next ninety minutes or so, proceeded to blow the bloody doors off. The title track from new album Cat Fight featured early, the backing “ooh aahs” punctuated what was a cacophony of noise, as heavy as a fucking Panzer tank, the sound destructively loud and bombastic.

Satan’s Got His Heart Set On You was off the scale – Jones mining his inner Howlin’ Wolf while the band stepped up and then some, Elliot Mortimer on piano driving the whole thing, Gavin Jay’s bass rumbled and Sarah-Leigh Shaw’s drumming provided the backbeat. Exiled followed and showcased the twin saxophone attack before the doo-wop of I’m On Fire lit up the room, Jones vocal was almost pleading, the backing “do do do do‘s” simply infectious, Mortimer’s tinkering on the ivories elevating the song to the rafters.

Thereafter, Born To Ride was introduced as one for the motorcycle fuckers, a scuzzy, greasy rocker where Carlton Mounsher’s guitar riffs felt like a ripping, shredded bike chain while I Want You (Anyway I Can) was perhaps the track where everything came together, each instrument featuring, everyone in sync for what was a musical powerhouse. It’s Your Voodoo Working was eerily mesmerizing before a return to Thee Hypnotics with the closing Shakedown sent shivers down the back.

There’s a lot to be said for live music and of course it comes in all shapes and sizes. But a rock and roll band firing on all cylinders like the Jim Jones All Stars is hard to beat – go see them if you get the chance.

Review by John Welsh
@welshjb