Each month, we invite a local artist to lay down a stripped-back live session in Greeny’s rehearsal space. One take. No do-overs. You can watch Jon’s session over on the Exposed Instagram channel (@exposedmagazine) and read on for our interview with Sheff’s resident Rev…
“It were just like putting on an old pair of slippers,” Jon says, reflecting on a Red Light Session spent jamming with close mates and long-time collaborators. “In some ways, it was just a bunch of people I’ve not been with for a long time. Just felt easy and fun.”
This month’s session saw the return of a few familiar faces from Sheffield’s indie heyday – members of Milburn, The Makers and Greeny himself behind the kit. “You’ve got lads who played in Bromheads Jacket, Millburn, Reverend and the Makers, Arctic Monkeys. Then there’s James O’Hara, who started Tramlines and owns Leah’s Yard. That’s my childhood best mate and business partner in Day Fever,” he explains. “A lot of us have been through this madness 20 years ago – and they’re all still here, and a lot of them are thriving.”
The set featured a punk-edged take on fan favourites ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World’ and ‘Bandits’, the latter holding a special significance for the frontman. “I wrote ‘Bandits’ in my mum’s kitchen with Tom Rowley. Laura sings on it – back then we were just in a band together. Now she’s actually my wife. It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy, that one.”
What made the experience extra special, Jon says, was the sense of trust and community that underpins both the session and Sheffield’s music scene more broadly. “I trust Greeny not to mug me off. You just trust people, don’t you? So you know they’re not going to stitch you up. And I love Greeny, I love the mag – I’ve probably been on the cover more than anyone!”
Despite decades in the game, it’s clear he hasn’t lost that creative spark. “Sometimes you forget to play for fun. You end up doing it all for the PR or the money or whatever it is – and sometimes you just forget to meck a racket.”
That joyful chaos was captured perfectly in this month’s performance – and as Jon points out, the stripped-back set-up offered something fans don’t usually get to see. “They only ever see you on video or on stage, never when it’s a bit rough and ready. But that’s how it is. Takes a lot of setting up, a lot of practice – and this gives a glimpse behind the curtain.”
With a new album in the works, a headline slot at Rock N Roll Circus and another Glastonbury appearance on the cards, there’s no doubt The Rev is firmly in his renaissance era. “I’ve had a U-shaped career,” he laughs. “Seven singles in a row now on Radio 2, back on Glastonbury this year, and collabs with Vicky McClure and another big name I can’t quite reveal yet.”
But it all comes back to Sheffield. “I’ve often thought about emigrating. But then I think, them relationships are important – we’ve known each other so long. It’s like family. That’s what Sheffield does better than anywhere else in the world. I’ve been all over, and I mean it – we do community properly here.”
Watch Reverend and the Makers’ Red Light Session on Insta (@exposedmagazine) – and keep your eyes peeled for more one-take magic coming soon. You can catch Jon at his headline Rock N Roll Circus 20th anniversary show on Saturday 30 August.
