Officially part of the 20th anniversary of their stonking debut album ‘Get Born’ (which is, in fact, now over 21 years old), it’s unusual to see Jet in Dublin. So much so that the Aussie rockers revealed on stage they couldn’t remember the last time they’d dropped into our city. They’re a simple act, both lyrically and musically, but one with the kind of charm and pulsating guitar energy that more than makes up for it.
For those unfamiliar with Jet’s broader catalogue, yes, there’s that song (‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ is dropped early, and suitably emphatic with the crowd singing the opening verse alone), but they also have a kind of dual pace to them. There’s the fast, more traditional garage rock tracks like the aforementioned, ‘Take It Or Leave It’, ‘Cold Hard Bitch’, or ‘Last Chance’, Then there’s the mellow moments, often featuring guitarist Cameron Muncey switching onto lead vocals, that have the air of a kind of Aussie Ash.
After throwing in their biggest post-Get Born hit ‘She’s A Genius’ early (hooky, great bouncing guitar, nonsense lyrics – a bit of a Jet theme on the faster numbers) alongside a couple of other assorted later hits, the band proceed to play that debut album in full, in order. Which is predictable, but in fairness to them, done with the kind of zeal that you might not expect two decades later; it goes down a treat in a crowd notably heavy on Australians down near the front.
The guitars are a constant highlight: Nic Cester and Muncey play off each other in a kind of dual-lead role, one that’s heady and particular in its timing and impressively tight throughout, with a setup that seems to go from jarring to dualling and back in brilliant synchronicity.
While the highlights are probably obvious (Cester sat at stage front as he croons through quieter hit ‘Look What You’ve Done’ is beautiful), it’s also a reminder of how nicely quirky ‘Get Born’ got in its more hidden corners. Muncey’s ‘Timothy’ has the kind of odd surrealism in its lyrics that seems to draw more from Daniel Johnson than oft-stated major influence T-Rex, and ‘Radio Song’, with its intentionally discordant guitar segments, would be worthy of a heap of far more acclaimed acts if the lyrics were just a little less obvious: its pace changes are magnificent.
‘Lazy Gun’ showcases Jet’s ability to borrow the style of The Beatles, if not quite the proficiency. Though the whole album could be lazily categorised as ‘dumb garage rock’, a style redeemed hugely by the fact that it has those weird asides, it’s performed with such memorable wild abandon. ‘Get Born’ is, in short, both a bit silly and quite incredibly good fun.
Of course, ‘She’s A Genius’ aside, half a globe away from Jet’s homeland it does kind of feel like we haven’t’ heard from the Melbourne act in two decades, which, in the context of the mass sing-alongs, kind of highlights just how well balanced and entrancing the record actually was. When it’s being performed in full, in a set that lacks any particular frills – Jet haven’t bought a backdrop, the lighting is basic – it’s raw and direct, and there’s plenty to love here.
The encore is another brief meander through a section that could be titled “here’s what else we have to offer”, featuring a belting finish in ‘Rip It Up’. But like Jet’s career more broadly, the show is very much about showcasing the pure ’00s energy of a record that feels beautifully of its time. This almost feels like that peak garage rock era in a single act, and all in, it’s brazenly and starkly simple but highly effective.