Tight, powerful, Southern rock from both sides of the pond.
From the first notes of this sold-out show, it is clear that Robert Jon and the Wreck are on peak form: musically tight, driven, and having the time of their lives.
Touring in support of the new album Heartbreaks and Last Goodbyes, this feels like a refreshed version of the band. Recent addition Jake Abernathie on keyboards has really rounded out the sound, confidently stepping forward when needed but just as comfortable adding the appropriate swell and emphasis behind the guitars.
Bassist Warren Murrel, meanwhile, appears to be living his best life, striking poses and beaming like a Cheshire cat all night. This is what being in a band is supposed to look like, right? Together with drummer Andrew Espantman, he locks the band into a tight rhythm around which everyone else can stretch their musical muscles.
There is also a lot of hair. An extraordinary amount of hair, in fact. With support from These Wicked Rivers adding considerably to the total, it is doubtful the Junction has seen this much of it on stage for some time. Presumably, this is simply what going to see almost any rock band in the 1970s was like, although the Cambridge Junction audience has considerably less of it than those on stage.
The twin guitar attack of Robert Jon Burrison and Henry Schneekluth, of course, gives the band much of its signature sound. Neither feels the need for the showmanship traditionally associated with Southern rock guitar heroes, with Schneekluth in particular playing economically in the main in support of the wider sound. There are moments to cut loose, though, not least some terrific guitar and organ duels during the extended sections of the songs.
And then there is Robert Jon himself, seemingly very aware of where his band has got to and absolutely living in the moment. Visually, there is more than a hint of Billy Gibbons to him; yes, the beard, but also tight jeans, the way he walks, and his unexpected height, but it is his powerful voice that leads the show. Just as importantly, he generously gives everyone in the band their moment, not simply through allotted solos but as part of the wider musical evolution of the songs.
Much of the set is drawn from the recent Heartbreaks and Last Goodbyes album, but inevitably two of the biggest singalongs come from breakthrough album Last Light on the Highway; Oh Miss Carolina and Do You Remember have a close-to-sold-out Junction roaring every word back at the band.
It sums up where Robert Jon and the Wreck find themselves right now: a refreshed band at the top of their game and clearly loving every minute of it.
Support comes from Derbyshire five-piece These Wicked Rivers, whose take on Southern rock comes with a heavier classic-rock edge. Live, they sound considerably harder than on record, where the acoustic and more spiritual elements of their music often come further to the fore. On stage they are intense and impressively tight, stretching out songs from across their albums, including material from Fire and Folklore, released just this week as they begin this extended run supporting the headliners.
It makes for a remarkably well-matched bill: two bands with plenty of musical muscle, an obvious affection for the traditions they draw from and the ability to make them feel alive rather than simply nostalgic.