Ayron Jones gig review – Rock City Nottingham 2022.

November 6, 2022 rocknews

Tonight, we are at Rock City to see Ayron Jones all the way from Seattle. Having seen Ayron perform earlier this year at the Download Festival tonight’s show on the beta stage is going to be more of an intimate affair and one to remember for the fans in the room. They have just come from Japan via Cardiff last night, so these guys are defiantly putting the miles in.

Ayron is influenced by some of the great bands that have emerged from his hometown Seattle like Hendrix and Nirvana. It’s great to see Ayron keeping the tradition alive! Having already supported the likes of The Rolling Stones, Ayron is gathering some momentum on the rock scene. To see him in this venue on his way to rock n roll stardom could be a piece of Rock and Roll history in the making.

Tonight’s show is on another level than when I saw him perform at Download. The quality of the music and performance has been cranked up a few notches since the summer. Matthew Jaquette played some great riffs on the guitar and Bassist Bob Lovelace got incredible air as he jumps around the stage.

They kicked off the show with “Boys from the Puget Sound” and instantly the crowd was on board. It was clear that they were in for a treat as the band played through a set of high-energy, catchy tunes. The crowd surrounded the stage giving the small venue a buzz of atmosphere. During the set Ayron tells the audience “You English know how to drink” which had the crowd raising their glasses and cheering approval of the comment.

So far the set list had been the bands original work. It was time though for Ayron to pay homage to his hometown and cover Nivarnas Breed. It has to be one of the best Nirvana covers I’ve seen and judging the crowd’s reaction it was theirs too! you can see the video here.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to hear the new single “Otherside” as Ayron told me after the show that they hadn’t had time to rehearse it. We did get “Filthy” with Matthew Jacquette on guitar taking the song into some Nile Rodgers inspired funk. At the end of the set, bassist Bob Lovelace turns over the band’s set list to reveal the words “one more song” and places it in front of Ayron, he nods in agreement and proceeds to play a stunning cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain”. Just before the song’s guitar solo, Ayron invites a fan onto the stage, Anna who’s celebrating her 16th birthday, Ayron and the crowd out in front of Anna sing Happy Birthday to her in the key of Purple Rain. I’m sure it is now a birthday she will never forget! Big Sexy on drums takes on the falsetto. Purple rain is another great cover and I’m so glad they played it! You can watch the video here.

It’s been a great opportunity to see Ayron and the band in such an intimate venue. The quality and sound of the music are surely going to elevate them to bigger venues. The crowd gave good support and were rewarded with the band taking selfies amongst them. And in true Rock n roll style, the band joined the fans across the road in one of Nottingham’s rock pubs for a pint or two before hitting the road to the next show. It was great to see them interacting with their fans and taking the time to make everyone feel special. Catch them if you can, you won’t be disappointed!!