Press - Hoping for Happier Times Ahead

Bognor Regis' Russell Hastings is hoping to lead his From The Jam band into happier times after a difficult 2009.

Russell sings the Paul Weller vocals in a band which used to line up with former Jam drummer Rick Buckler and former Jam bassist Bruce Foxton – a line-up which took them around the world with their celebration of the great Jam back catalogue.

But sadly Bruce's wife died of breast cancer in early April; and Rick left the band later in the year.

However, with new drummer Mark Brzezicki (ex-Big Country), Russell and Bruce are back on the road again with big plans for 2010.
Writing will be a big priority for next year, and work is already coming in from America.

For the moment, Russell is delighted to be taking From The Jam to Portsmouth's Pyramid Centre on December 9.

Russell, who first made his name as a solo Paul Weller tribute in the Bognor/Chichester area a few years back, admitted: "It has been a really difficult year.

"Bruce's wife (Pat) died during a lot of treatment. She'd battled it for a long time. She was only 57."

Sad times for a band which effectively launched three years ago this December, unveiling Bruce as part of a new line-up on a memorable night at The Venue in Chichester.

"We had done two or three smaller shows in the UK that year. The first time he had been on stage with us was late August, early September."

But it was the Chichester gig that really launched it: "And Bruce and I became extremely good friends out of it all. I don't say that lightly. We have been really close. We needed to be. We have been around the world together. We share the same sense of humour, and we have had such a great laugh together. You've had to have a good sense of humour to get through – particularly now Rick has left the band.

"I don't really know why. He didn't really give us a personal reason. I think he just felt that he had had enough. He just wanted to hang the sticks up again. We tried to talk him round, but we had to respect his wishes with it. When he first started with us, he said he didn't know how long it would last because he had (already] retired from playing."
There was huge bitterness all round when Weller left The Jam in 1982.

"Some people are under the misbelief that Rick left us now because
Bruce had started playing with Paul Weller again. Bruce has guested with Paul and has done a few tracks on Paul's new album. All will be revealed, but I honestly don't believe that was why he left."

Russell and Bruce chatted with Steve White about Steve replacing Rick. White had drummed until recently for Weller as a fixture in his line-ups for a quarter of a century, but eventually Mark Brzezicki was taken on board, with a view to becoming permanent next year.

"He is different to Rick but grew up with The Jam music as well. Big Country supported The Jam on their last tour. They did all the Wembley shows together. They were good friends with Bruce and Paul back then."

As for the possibility of Bruce's renewed friendship with Weller pulling Bruce away from his commitments with Russ, Russ admits he doesn't know: "It's not something that I haven't thought about. But even if Bruce went out and did a tour with Paul, my reaction would still be that it would be brilliant for Bruce.

"I don't think anything in this industry is ever permanent. It's a transient business. Everything is possible."
Russ wouldn't even rule out Weller turning up at a From The Jam gig and guesting alongside Bruce, his new-found friend.

"You just don't know. But at the moment the plans for me and Bruce are to really get down next year and do some writing. I have heard that we have got a couple of festivals out in Berlin and some American stuff. But Bruce and I have been talking for ages about doing some writing. We have got some great ideas that we have got as MP3 files that we could work on.

"But obviously this year has been a difficult year emotionally. It has taken its toll on the both of us…"

More details on www.fromthejam.co.uk


http://www.chichester.co.uk/entertainments/Hoping-for-happier-times-ahead.5872597.jp