Live Review - Mojo Juju

February 23, 2012 – Spiegeltent, Melbourne

Mojo Juju is the perfect example of an Australian performer who makes you rue the unfortunate geographical situation we are in here.  She would fit in quite well in the U.S. or Europe, going from city to city and town to town in a beat up car, performing her incredible music to thousands of different people who would appreciate her talent and artistry.  Unfortunately, going from city to city in Australia means either a ten-hour drive, or an expensive flight (for someone who might only get a couple hundred bucks for a show, if that).  Going from town to town isn’t much good either because the diversity in taste generally isn’t there to attract a large crowd for someone whose music could best be described as gypsy/jazz/blues/gospel/noir/carnival punk.  She’d be able to make quite a comfortable living elsewhere and, while watching her, you find yourself hoping that one day she’ll be able to do that.  But then, it would rob us of an outstanding talent.

Mojo Juju has undergone quite a few changes since I first encountered her at 2009’s Bluesfest, where she was playing with The Snake Oil Merchants.  Since then, she’s shed her backing band for a new, leaner one.  Where the Snake Oil Merchants boasted bass, drums, keys, accordions, horns and even a handsaw (played with a violin bow), her new band is stripped down to drums, double bass and a saxophone with Mojo Juju providing the guitar and vocals.  In my opinion, it has been a change for the better.  During her Bluesfest appearance I was captivated by the sheer spectacle of her show (she even had a burlesque dancer providing some light entertainment during the set).  But the other night at the Spiegeltent, without the all the extra bells and whistles, I found myself equally captivated, but this time, it was Mojo Juju’s song writing and vocal abilities that demanded my attention.

This woman’s music is nothing short of astounding.  Her ability to suck her audience into her own strange, dark world of knockabouts and rag-tag anti-heroes is second to none.  Between song banter was equally as entertaining, giving the audience some cheeky anecdotes about the meanings of songs and life as an artist who is out of luck with love while living in Melbourne with very little money.  But I cannot understate the pathos she displays while performing.  It’s as if, while singing, she is conjuring up swirling images of characters and places right before your eyes, just like the very best New Orleans witch doctor, and as you watch these characters in these places, you can’t help but be amused, or heartbroken, depending on their situation.  Such is the power of Mojo Juju’s performance and I will certainly be catching her again when her Lady Killer tour kicks off next month.  She, and her band, have also just completed an album so stay tuned for release details because, if you like anything you’ve read here, you won’t want to miss it.