The One Eyed Jacks pull a hell of a crowd: before the opening act, Dirty Mirror Traits, had finished their set, people were queueing up outside the door to the Latest’s basement. The Jacks have a growing reputation for intensely energetic gigs – there’s something visceral and at the same time playful about the seven piece funk band, which means that even with not too many gigs under their belt, they can boast a lot of followers.

Before they took to the stage though, the audience were treated to an unexpected jaw-dropper from the second support, Lebeaux, a total unknown on Brighton’s music scene. This was one of their very first gigs, and they’re so new that they don’t even have any recordings. Without a doubt, though, they’re here to stay: frontman Turrell Lebeaux has an unbelievable vocal range, and a natural instinct for both performing and for choosing those spine-tingling notes. Backed by a very capable band and three more singers, his songs began in the realms of slow, riff-heavy soul that caused a lot of stunned faces in the crowd, before segueing smoothly into the One Eyed Jacks’ set with a move towards a gritty sound more based in r'n'b.

The progression was perfectly worked out, allowing the crowd to approach a frenzy before the One Eyed Jacks burst onto the stage. They number seven, which already means a lot of power, and their volume is totally uncompromising: from their first songs, it’s clear that their funk packs a punch. The core of the band is the rhythm section, and especially the bassist Fred Parrott (also in three-piece funk group Body Talk). He may have lurked out of sight at the back, but the raw odor of funk emanated unmistakably from his aggressive basslines, and he underpinned the whole feel of the band. The lead guitarist Jason Elvin also had the slippery riffs of the genre nailed down tight, working with the bass and rhythm guitar to create an irresistible sound that was distinctly traditional but nicely innovative.

So it was a very solid band indeed, almost a funkster’s dream-team, that stood behind frontman Karl Benjamin for close to an hour. His vocals were strong and, like Lebeaux, he had backing singers behind him, adding a flavour to an already tasty sonic blend. He didn’t have the range of the previous vocalist, but he had the power and the charisma – and this was worth a lot in their stage show, which had an undercurrent of sexuality running through it: part of the aforementioned viscerality was translated physically by the vocalists, and to some extent by their lyrics, to culminate in an atmosphere that was unmistakably charged.

Those who know the Latest Music Bar will know that it can be hit and miss. On occasion, great bands play to an empty room there – but for the One Eyed Jacks it was heaving. At the end of their set it was easy to see why: witness their show once, and you’ll mark it down as a sure bet for a night of heavy dancing. Their rhythm section is a powerhouse, and as performers they have an edge of magnetism that does their live show wonders.
Ben Nobel