Joe Carnall Jnr & Friends VIII…
You know when you have seen an artist live that many times that you start referring to them by their first names? As if you’re old friends? That is Joe Carnall Jnr of Milburn fame. Or Joe to his bestest mates like me…
Joe Carnall’s annual Christmas gig has become an institution in Sheffield and it’s eighth incarnation was perhaps the best yet. Following a mass Christmas singalong complete with karaoke lyrics on the big screen, Carnall strides on stage against a backdrop of lit up Christmas trees and fairy lights. Goosebumps.
Acoustic renderings of Milburn tracks 17 and Cheshire Cat Smile kick things off with Sheffield in good voice and Joe looking relaxed. It’s a party atmosphere that Scrooge himself would struggle to resist. Carnall’s ‘other’ band The Book Club are represented next with a spirited version of What Was Said On The Landing before Reverend & The Makers’ Ed Cozens and Milburn alumni Louis Carnell and Joe Green flesh out the live sound for a run through of Midnight Control and Well Well Well.
As well as Milburn and The Book Club, Carnall is also the bassist for fellow Sheffield legends Reverend & The Makers. The Rev himself Jon McClure joins Joe for a couple of Revs tracks in the shape of Mr Glassalfempty and Juliet Knows as well as a sterling cover of Iggy Pop’s The Passenger. Not Christmassy but chuffing brilliant nevertheless.
Sheffield is treated to another local legend as Slow Club’s Rebecca Taylor is introduced, looking resplendent all in red, for a killer version of Under Pressure but, as always, it is the Milburn tracks that make the crowd go nuts and a full band, slowed down version of Storm in a Teacup sees pint pots thrown and arms held aloft. A rare outing for Brewster is introduced by Joe stating that he was 14-years-old when he wrote the song and 14-year-old him would have been disgusted to see him sporting a man bun on stage. Cue the dramatic removal of his hair bobble and cheers from the audience.
Joining Rebecca Taylor is Slow Club band mate Charles Watson on guitar and Adam Crofts, formerly the drummer from The Crookes, on keyboards. I mention this only as a way to shoehorn the The Crookes into yet another article. Making this the 376th time I have written about them.
Anyway, I digress…
Tom Grennan is the next friend onstage and while he ‘is a Southerner who wears dodgy coats’ he has become a bit of an honorary Sheffield patron following a triumphant Tramlines appearance in 2018. Grennan treats us to a fantastic version of his track Found What I’ve Been Looking For as well as a cover of Amy Winehouse’s You Know I’m No Good. The pair finish off this section of the evening with the now traditional cover of East 17’s Stay Another Day with Grennan perfectly playing the part of Brian Harvey in his, admittedly ridiculous, coat.
Traditional Milburn set closer What You Could’ve Won is cast aside in favour of Last Bus and a triumphant Roll Out The Barrel before Joe gets everyone up on stage for a jubilant version of All I Want For Christmas Is You. Rebecca Taylor, Sophie Scott of support band Sophie and the Giants and Laura McClure of Reverend & The Makers take turns to belt out the verses and as fake snow drifts from the sky we are left with that festive feeling of too many mince pies, an afternoon nap and arguments over Monopoly.
Joe finishes off by saying ‘I’m waffling now like I’ve won an award. I’ve actually never won anything… apart from the hearts and minds of men’. He’s joking, of course. But as the adoring crowd go bonkers, it’s clear there is a kernel of truth in there somewhere.
It simply wouldn’t be Christmas without Joe Carnall Jnr and his ragtag crew of accomplises. See you next year…