From The Jam, The Skeptics @ The Gov, Adelaide 2/7/2026

Since 2008, From The Jam have been regular, welcomed, visitors to Australian shores and to The Gov. This tour marks the twentieth anniversary of their formation. In 2006 former The Jam members, drummer, Rick Buckler and bassist Bruce Foxton joined forces with friend Russell Hastings to form the band and the outfit’s mission has always been to celebrate and uphold the live legacy of the legendary mod-revival icons. Following the tragic passing of Buckler last year and Foxton’s retirement due to ill health, the torch has been passed to Gary Simmons on bass and Mike Randon on drums—and they fill those massive shoes effortlessly.

Any band that kicks off their set with the iconic, wheezing grind of Doctor Who’s TARDIS landing—followed immediately by a brilliant, reggae-infused rendition of the show’s theme song—is bound to win a crowd over. It certainly won me over. For local openers The Skeptics, it was a masterclass in setting the mood. Delivering a tight, infectious blend of ska and reggae, the band kept the energy high and the audience captivated.

Liv Parker took over vocals for Tattoo Cover Up, then Chris Hayne took vocals for a gritty, The Clash inspired Free. Diamonds was a highlight and the nostalgic Back in the Day, about “growing up in Para Hills” followed. Closing out their primary set with a blistering cover of Booker T. & the M.G.’s Time is Tight, Parker teased the audience with a classic: “Do you want one more?” The roaring response was rewarded with a stirring, instrumental version of Curtis Mayfield’s Move on Up. It was a fantastic opening set, and it’s safe to say The Skeptics walked away with a legion of new fans.

From The Jam entered the stage to the tune, My Generation by The Who, a band that was a major influence for The Jam. With a “We have left some gorgeous weather behind in England to be here” from vocalist Russell Hasting, the band didn’t just ease into the Martha and the Vandellas cover Heatwave they exploded into it. The three piece was tight, loud and playing with attitude. The Kinks, David Watts was next, played with equal passion. The first of The Jam songs followed in Modern World to arousing cheers and it was followed up with Saturday’s Kids.

“We have come a long way to be here” said Russell, “you can move ten feet forward” pointing to the people at the back. They complied, filling the area in the front of the stage. He then pointed to the people up the back sitting at tables, “Oh the business class people. Come on down and we will play any requests”. Then pointing to a lady on her phone as she walked to the front, “Get off the phone and enjoy the show”. People moved down, pressing against the barrier and started shouting song titles. Thick as Thieves was the chosen song to play, despite a “We haven’t played that one much, I hope I remember the words” from Russell. It was a genuine request as the song wasn’t on the setlist.

While the night belonged to the legacy of Paul Weller’s original trio, the setlist made room for Hastings and Foxton’s later collaborations. The band delivered a lovely, melodic version of Lula from their 2022 album, followed by the high-energy Number Six—a standout track from 2012 inspired by an old house Hastings used to live in.

But it was The Jam numbers that the people were here to hear. Butterfly Collector put everyone back on track and then the heavy bass driven sound from Gary Simmons commenced a magnificent rendition of Pretty Green. Special mention must go to powerhouse drummer Mike Randon, who anchored the entire night with heavy-hitting precision and flawless, powerful backing vocals.

Whether the band was playing deep cuts or massive chart-toppers, the distinction was irrelevant to this crowd; the die-hard audience sang along word-for-word to Mr. Clean, Strange Town, and Start!

But it was still Town Called Malice and That’s Entertainment that received the loudest cheers before the encore. The songs had the audience dancing at the front of the stage and singing along, loudly.

A chilled-out Ghosts started the encore. A beautiful piece of music that held the room silent until the opening chords of Life from a Window jolted everyone back to life. An extended, masterful jam in the middle of The Eaton Rifles became an absolute highlight of the night, before the band brought the house down with the timeless classics Going Underground and In the City.

While the trio made a quick exit from the stage after a final “thank you”, they were soon back on stage, meeting people at the edge to say hi and have selfies taken. A nice humble touch to the end of the evening.

From The Jam didn’t need to convert anyone at The Gov; they were playing to the converted. Yet, looking around the room, it wasn’t just the original ’70s generation in attendance. A whole new wave of younger fans stood shoulder-to-shoulder, proving that the band, From The Jam, are keeping the music of The Jam vital, timeless, and unifying as ever.

Live Review by Geoff Jenke