Alastair and Kirsty Middlemist
Dover Booking Hall is a lovely intimate venue ideal for any artist you choose to see. Small enough that there’s barely a bad spot in the room, it’s the kind of place where you can watch a guitarist’s fingers on the fretboard from almost anywhere you’re standing. I first saw Jack live playing an acoustic set at Maid of Stone festival earlier this year, so I was looking forward to seeing how different it might be indoors and, as Jack put it himself, ‘plugged in’.
For the uninitiated, The Jack J Hutchinson Band are part of the bluesy rock genre. Loud, with amazing guitar riffs and some outrageously good guitar solos, this is a band built around a frontman who plays like every note matters. It’s a sound with real weight to it, the kind that fills a room like Dover Booking Hall without any need for gimmicks.
The band were the support act for the night, so the set was just 40 minutes long comprising 8 songs from across his career so far. The setlist included older songs such as Bullets, Road to Hell which got the crowd going and frankly lifted the roof: also, a quieter number I Will Follow You, a lovely tribute to his Dad. It was also an opportunity for Jack and the band to showcase songs from upcoming album Soul Believer, due for release in January 2027. The newer material stood shoulder to shoulder with the established songs, which given the strength of the older catalogue is no small feat. From what I heard Sunday evening, long term fans will not be disappointed and anyone new to Jack’s music, there will be a lot to enjoy here.
From start to finish the band were tight and loud, bar the ballad I Will Follow You. Throughout the set Jack engaged with the crowd, chatting between songs and clearly enjoying being back on a stage this size, and, whilst the majority of attendees were there for the headliners FM, they soon warmed to Jack and the boys. By the closing numbers there were heads nodding and feet tapping right across the room. This is a frontman who knows how to work an audience!
Whilst I enjoy a variety of the rock subgenres, the blues end of the spectrum doesn’t always do it for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this set, it is just close enough to more mainstream rock styles to be widely enjoyed and respected. Think Kris Barras but not really Kris Barras.
Jack is on tour now and into the early part of 2027 promoting Soul Believer and I heartily recommend you go and see him. Whether it’s a small room like Dover Booking Hall or a support slot in front of a bigger crowd, this is a band that gives everything it has. He and the band are fantastic live; you can check out his music on Spotify, but live he is outstanding!
Tour dates can be found at jackjhutchinsonmusic.com.
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