I was never into James in my youth. They were a Manchester pop band, and I was into rock, two mutually exclusive musical spheres. I was aware of their pop hits but never owned any of their albums. They just weren't my thing.
Then, after reuniting online with my uni class, Paul Sheehan raved to me about how good James was live, enough for me to take a fresh listen. I was blown away by Tim's voice and how catchy the choruses were, and I discovered that they had continued to create great new music. They stayed on my playlists. When this concert was announced, I had to get tickets.
Razorlight was an indie act I had never got into back in the noughties. Tonight, they did themselves proud. If they'd been an unknown band, I'd have said they have a few good songs, perhaps not enough to encourage me to dive into their catalogue. The standout moment came during Golden Touch when the crowd took over the chorus. That took me by surprise; the loud crowd knew all the lyrics.
The staging for James seemed quite sparse, comprising a series of raised platforms with steps down into the pit in front of the audience. At the back, a giant central screen was flanked by walls of lights, with big screens on either side of the stage. Notably, the band had two drumkits and lots of microphone stands. I wondered how many singers they had.
The crowd on the floor level packed the hall from front to back. I'd never seen it so busy. Upstairs, there were a few gaps, and I wondered if security at one of the entrances had made a booboo and wrongly handed out the standing wristbands to everyone. My only evidence for this was when I noticed that the four people sitting beside us were all wearing them.
Before James came on, a muffled announcement requested that we put away our cameras. From my elevated position, I could see a few of the multitude of screen lights in the standing area going dark, but not many. Still, the seed was planted, so I decided this was one show I wouldn't try to film. Just as well, given the number of latecomers and people needing out during the performance. Aisle seats are great for a quick exit but not so good for the number of times you need to get up to let people out. One bald man in a previous James tour T-shirt went out three times during the show. Maybe he'd seen them so often he didn't mind missing a few songs. I did snap a few photos, though.
Without much fanfare, the James collective strolled up the ramp onto the stage, with lead singer Tim at the tail, and took up their positions, opening with She's a Star. Four more backing singers from a Manchester choir joined them from time to time, making thirteen performers on stage. That's value for money. Many of the band members are multi-instrumentalists, and they all showed off their talents and had a great time. What was great was how they all looked like they were having fun.
Tim likes to get close to his audience, singing from various platforms on the front barrier. Sometimes, he sings while walking amongst the crowd, and sometimes, he sings while crowd surfing (that was an amazing sight—talk about carrying a tune). He is not amused by the cameras, though, as people need two hands to support him, and he warned us he wouldn't come into the crowd if he saw them.
His dancing is amazing. He's so loose and limber he moves with all the carefreeness of a garage forecourt inflatable (and still makes it look cool). He shines so brightly under the lights that my camera often couldn't bring him into focus (which I'm sure he'd be pleased with).
The screen graphics were deceptively clever, utilising 3D technology to make it appear the flower was coming out of the screen and, later, that the butterflies were flying. During Mobile God, the one song Tim said we should film, the people on the screen flickered with fluctuating cyber overlays. I suspect some AI trickery was at work there, as it was all conducted in real-time.
I loved the harmonies on Beautiful Beaches, and Sit Down was simply sublime. My only disappointment was that they didn't play Is This Love from the new album. They played it elsewhere on the tour, so I guess I was just unlucky tonight.
A super night.
Afterwards, as we left the venue, the smell of hash was incredible despite the hoolie blowing. I guess James fans can only last so long without their next hit.
Setlist
She's a StarTomorrow
Our World
Rogue (Live Debut)
Life's a Fucking Miracle
Born of Frustration
Waltzing Along
Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)
Shadow of a Giant
Five-O
Better With You
Just Like Fred Astaire
Sit Down
Mobile God
Sometimes (Lester Piggott)
Encore:
Way Over Your Head
Beautiful Beaches
Come Home
Laid
Ticket Price: 2 OVO Live Presale Ticket £65.00 x2 = £130.00
Order Processing Fees £21, Handling Fee £2.00
Total £153.00
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| Oh oh, he's spotted the camera |
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| Guess which song this was. |
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| Now that is a bow |
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