When he released his debut album, there was no TikTok or other leading social media app with which his music could be shared.
The radio didn’t want to hear anything about that music either, so there was no other option than to drive from one gig to the next in a packed van to deliver a steaming live set with complete dedication and boundless commitment, and thus win over audiences in all corners of the UK. LAURENCE JONES seems to have succeeded quite well in that plan.
This exponent of the ‘New British Invasion’ was noticed and appreciated early on, especially in the Netherlands. The love turned out to be mutual and a close bond would develop between the young Brit and his beloved Netherlands.
We are now more than ten years further. After the recently concluded and very extensive ‘Rockin’ The Grassroots Tour’, this week we will continue with a series of performances in the Netherlands…
Early visitors to the fairly full Cloud Nine venue see a familiar face on stage that we have honestly lost sight of a bit.
DAN OWEN was once introduced as a talented singer/songwriter who would quickly make a name for himself with his acoustic music.
He initially made an impression by performing other people’s work in English pubs, but soon began writing his own material.
More than ten years ago, the British musician, born in 1992, made his debut in the Netherlands as a support act for Valerie June and despite the rave reactions and excellent reviews, his career never really took off like the musically related Jake Bugg did.
Both shared a great love for the achievements of Bob Dylan and never missed an opportunity to show this on stage.
“The slightly hoarse voice of this young guy is special and will undoubtedly continue to develop strongly and there is also nothing wrong with his beautiful, sometimes sensitive guitar playing”, was often noted about Owen who appeared to have the same kind of indifference as his great example.
Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that he never limited himself to one genre and that his music was therefore not so easy to place in a certain corner.
Nevertheless, he continued to believe in his own abilities and therefore several albums have already been released after his debut from 2018. From ‘Stay Awake With Me’ sounds ‘Made Love To You’, which tonight in a somewhat bare version, so without strings as previously recorded in the studio, still stands strong.
Owen does it all by himself tonight, armed with guitar and harmonica while he determines the rhythm with a foot stomp box. He explains that he knew Laurence Jones but that he had not met him before.
The Robert Johnson-originated ‘Ramblin’ On My Mind’ sounds experienced enough to keep the attention focused on it and his playful performance of a raw and especially sincerely played ‘Little Red Rooster’ even gets the approval of the blues lovers in the audience.
Dan Owen doesn’t like to see himself as just a bluesman on the bill, but he clearly knows his classics well enough to convince with this version. He gratefully accepts the heartfelt applause that follows his set.
The same goes for LAURENCE JONES as far as the above is concerned. He once described his music as ‘modern blues rock’ and blues forms the basis for most of his material.
His mission at the time was to get this music on the radio with crossover, a mix of styles, in order to reach a younger audience.
He expressed his admiration for artists such as Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer who have become enormously successful with a similar approach. When the band kicks off around nine o’clock with ‘Stuck In The Night’, there is not much left of that ‘radio-friendly sound’.
Namely, there is a ruthless and deeply motivated trio on stage at Cloud Nine that wants to leave an indelible impression with not only a solid chunk of energy coupled with musical craftsmanship but also with a considerable amount of decibels.
There is a beautiful collection of equipment on stage and besides Jones’ Marshall amplifier, Alan Taylor’s drum kit seems to have been given a prominent, or rather very dominant, role in the mix. Don’t expect this to be seen as a warm-up for the festival season. These guys take this performance very seriously.
The unsuspecting visitor might even think they are witnessing a real workout because this power trio is dressed in Adidas jackets and has been delivering an enormous sporting performance from the very first minute.
One explanation for all this could be that it is the first show of the ‘May 2025 NL Tour’ and the guys are simply very much looking forward to going all out tonight.
The grin on Laurence Jones’ face will not disappear the entire evening. He is clearly still ‘Living the Dream’ and enjoys all the eyes and cameras focused on him.
It is hard to imagine that ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ and ‘Good Morning Blues’ were written and recorded ten years ago. Vocally, the Liverpudlian has developed considerably.
He has barely passed the age of thirty, but his voice increasingly fits the robust sound of the latest albums, of which ‘Bad Luck & The Blues’ is a good example.
As a guitarist, great strides have also been made, as can be seen during the long, drawn-out slow blues rocker ‘Don’t You leave Me This Way’ when Jones demonstrates his latest learned guitar techniques, of course with the corresponding poses. Even when he inventively fits ‘A Forest’ by The Cure into ‘In Too Deep’, the blues are never far away.
It is a great prelude to the well-known ‘I’m Goin’ Down’ with the heavy, rumbling bass tones of Jack A. Timmis and the somewhat obligatory cover of ‘Voodoo Child’ that is played with teeth.
We would have preferred to hear ‘Bad Penny’ as it was released on a special piece of vinyl during the last Record Store Day in honour of Rory Gallagher who breathed his last breath thirty years ago this year.
Nevertheless, the finale is strong as so often with work from their own kitchen and the audience exuberantly enjoys ‘Thunder In The Sky’ and the complex but tightly played ‘Foolin’ Me’.
The first performance during this NL Tour is not surprising, but the trio seems extremely fresh and well-attuned to each other, which leads to the conclusion that Laurence Jones & Band are ready for the festival season and the really big work that will undoubtedly follow.
