Edinburgh, 1977. As a snotty-nosed schoolboy drummer, my parents purchased ‘In The City’ single for me - I was hooked!  The raw power and emotion that filled my ears - the start of a lifelong love affair with The Jam. My friends and I eagerly awaited the release of every new single and album, playing them constantly and watching how this incredible band crossed the boundaries of Punk, Mod, Skinhead and most other sub-cultures.
1982, Weller announced he was splitting The Jam - we were devastated! No more The Jam!!! Still, we had a legacy of music to continue listening to.
40+ years later, and most of us have ‘All grown up, and we’ve got our own lives, and the values that we had once upon a time’.
Fast forward to Edinburgh, Bannermans 2024 -I was made aware of ABCM - ok I thought, I’ll go see them……Ooft! Blown away would be an understatement! The precision, attention to detail, and the overall sound was frighteningly realistic!!! I’ve seen a few Jam tribute bands over the years, and utmost respect to them all, because trying to emulate another bands songs is actually really difficult!
ABCM in my opinion are as good as seeing The Jam live (which I have). Close your eyes, and you’re there! What ABCM ‘do’ is nothing short of inspired!!
From ALL Jam fans, thankyou A Band Called Malice, for doing what you do, and keeping the legacy alive with integrity, respect and diligence.
And for us ‘older’ fans, for giving us the opportunity to be a tourist of our youths, albeit for a couple of hours at a gig.
Sadly, with the passing of Rick, there is never gonna be a Jam reunion, so please continue doing what you do guys!!!!
Scott Phillips
7/3/25