An eight-piece soul band, on paper St Paul & the Broken Bones may seem like nothing special. Their two releases so far deliver tight, upbeat funk-infused soul music that, whilst plenty of fun, isn’t particularly identifiable from the swathes of other bands within the genre doing the same thing. But to write the band off on this basis would be depriving yourself of the best entertainment I’ve seen in years. Yes, most of the songs followed a well-established format, yet this didn’t mean the music was mundane. Most jazz and its derivations tread a balance between tradition and innovation – St Paul & the Broken Bones delivered traditional funk fare, yet the delivery was so explosive and full of life it could never be accused of tedium.

Whilst every musician on stage was incredibly talented, made clear by the extended solo passages that gave every band member a chance to shine, singer Paul Janeway certainly stole the show. A bespectacled man of short stature and a receding hairline, he may initially seem an unlikely frontman, but boy can he sing. Adorned in an impeccable leopard print suit, the man exuded sass. He captivated the audience for the entire set, even concluding the show at the back of the hall, a gold-sequinned shoe raised above his head and grovelling at the feet of a bemused audience member, all the while delivering a pitch-perfect falsetto croon.

The mood of pure joy inside the Leeds Irish Centre was tangible that night. The band were true performers, and I’ve never heard an audience laugh so much at a gig; Janeway’s camaraderie was a welcome change from the sullen indie boys with the eyes glued to the floor that grace so many stages at the moment. In a time when America is something of a taboo in any positive conversation, St Paul & the Broken Bones provided an all-American show that couldn’t fail to make you smile.

And if that isn’t enough to convince then I have two more words for you – jazz flute. If even that prospect fails to excite, I give up.

Maisie Leddy

(Image: Amazon News)