King Mojo at The Cavern in Liverpool. May 2016. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
The area around Middlesbrough, the town to which clings to the edge of the North East and its old Yorkshire heritage for all its worth, has had many excuse recently to party in celebration and joy as its sporting heroes place the town back once more in its arguably rightful place. It is one that is deserved but also tempered by the reality of government inaction, of a feeling of bitterness and anger at the way the area has been left to its own devices and face ruination at the hands of the dirty side of politics.
At these times, sport is not enough to keep the pride in any area going, it requires art and action, it needs music from its people to get the blood boiling and the senses keen once more. Out of the mists that greet the venturing guest across the Yorkshire moors and by passing the other cultural lures of Newcastle and Scarborough to its north and south, driving at the rate of knots only seen in a Road Runner cartoon, comes the enjoyable and blistering King Mojo.
The Cavern has had many a visitor from the North East, the two sides of the country more closely linked than they perhaps realise at times, and has revelled in the atmosphere created by each one of the bands that has stood on the holy like shrine stage. King Mojo only added to that pleasure and the third day of the I.P.O. only added to that and proved, as if it needed so, that organiser David Bash knows only full well what will turn a Cavern crowd on and what will catch their attention.
Bounding through a set that gravitated between high jinxed Blues and out and out Small Faces inspired Rock, King Mojo took the audience on a trip of high quality drama infused music with songs such as The Reaper, Ejector Seat, Garden, the phenomenally cool Gloria Swanson (Groovy Dead Chick) and Like You Always Do, all of which added spice to the evening and steel to the hearts.
A great addition to the 2016 I.P.O., its 14th year made even more enjoyable by the addition of King Mojo to the stable roster.
Ian D. Hall