02 May 2025 (gig)
05 May 2025
It was always going to be an emotional night for Jam fans who had travelled to the O2 Indigo in London to see Bruce Foxton on his final tour with the band.
This Setting Sons tour is Bruce’s last hurrah with the band, having made the painful decision earlier this year to hang up his bass guitar for health reasons.
Bruce, an original member of The Jam, along with fellow Woking lads Paul Weller and Rick Buckler, broke on to the music scene with the original lineup over 45 years ago.
Beset by recent health issues, Bruce wanted to give his loyal fans a chance to see him play for a final tour before his retirement.
And what a memorable night it was, as the band and audience were watched over on stage by a huge smiling portrait of former band drummer, the late Rick Buckler. This was a fitting tribute to the much-loved drummer who sadly passed away less than three months ago.
Paying tribute on stage to Rick, From The Jam’s lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Russell Hastings said: “He was a great guy, he was one of the best and me and him spent a lot of time travelling the world together.
“Of course we were deeply saddened and deeply shocked, but we were also very honoured to go to his passing as well, which was wonderful. The family thanked everyone for their wonderful wishes, their love and respect which has helped them get through a very difficult period.”
Setting Sons was a pivotal album for The Jam and had a lot to live up to, following swiftly on the heels of their previous successful album All Mod Cons. Released in November 1979, it reached Number 4 in the UK Album Charts and proved that the boys were at the top of their game in the music industry.
Fans at the O2 Indigo were treated to tracks from the album including Eton Rifles, the sole single from the Setting Sons album which became the band’s first UK Top 10 hit, reaching No 3 in the charts.
Other hits from this concept album, which focuses on three boyhood friends who later reunite as adults, included Girl on The Phone, Thick as Thieves, Private Hell, Little Boy Soldiers, Wasteland, Heatwave and a hit penned by Bruce himself, Smithers Jones.
Although not performed by Bruce on the night, the song is based on Bruce’s own father’s experiences as a London commuter faced with redundancy and is always a special song for the crowd.
Before Bruce’s appearance on stage, Russell and the guys – drummer Mike Randon, bass player Gary Simon and keyboard player Andy Fairclough – took the crowd on a nostalgic trip back to The Jam heyday with songs including Saturday’s Kids.
Bruce’s arrival on stage was heralded by chants of Bruuuuuuuuce, with fans delighted to see their hero still strumming their favourite hits.
Beginning with To Be Someone, the band continued with a Jam-tastic setlist including Down in the Tube Station at Midnight, the foot-stomping Pretty Green, haunting Ghosts, and punk-fuelled debut single In The City as well as the brilliant Lula, a more recent hit from their 2022 Butterfly Effect album.
The moshpit came to life as soon as the first beats of David Watts were played and reached a crescendo for the last song of their main set, ironically Start!
While the band were off stage, the crowd started chants of “There’s Only One Rick Buckler” and “We want Bruce!”, impatient to see the final songs of this stellar show.
The band finished with a rousing encore which got the fans pogoing just like the old days to a string of absolute classics – Going Underground and That’s Entertainment, before ending on a high with A Town Called Malice.
Drawing the night to a close, Russell thanked the crowd for all their support, saying: “Thank you very much indeed for coming out for us this evening. From Bruce and myself and the band, thank you for your continued support over the years and we will see you again.”
Russell’s sentiment was no doubt reciprocated by the fans themselves, grateful for Bruce coming out despite his health issues and also Russell, who told the crowd how he’d been suffering from a virus that had affected his heart. We sincerely wish both Bruce and Russell the best of health and long may From The Jam continue.
