Jack Garratt @ UEA
As soon as he’s on stage I am impressed
Having forgotten to go see him at Latitude last year, and a number of friends telling me I might have missed the most breathtaking gig ever, Jack Garratt's presence in Norwich was something I had to see. Moreover, tonight I was going with a couple of friends who love Jack Garratt as much as I love Wolf Alice. To see their excitement, them wanting to queue and their anticipation before seeing their favourite artist resonated with my love for music, and made me equally as ready for the night.
After an hour waiting (sigh), first up is support Kacy Hill. A gorgeous specimen dressed in a burgundy velvet jumpsuit, Ms Hill stalks onto stage with a confidence that's fresh to see. But what's disappointing is the sound quality; I just can't make out what she's actually singing about, and it detracts from her sweet and peaceful voice. Whether it's just her quiet self, or the borderline disrespectful audience who are talking constantly through her whole set, I find myself frustrated and concentrating more on trying to decipher what she’s singing about than actually enjoying her set. Nevertheless, her style is unique and captivating, and her backing pianist and drummer absolutely smash it.
As the stage moves forward and his impressive set up becomes visible, the hype in the crowd is obvious. Something Jack Garratt does which is essentially the hook, line and sinker in terms of gathering his fans together is the fact he plays multiple instruments at the same time. A guitar, two keyboards, a drum kit, a sound board, a synth AND singing- the extent of what he has to do is impressive from the outset. And as soon as he’s on stage I am impressed. After his entrance to a crowd screaming his name and an instrumental introduction that is technically brilliant, Garratt kickstarts the show with single Chemical. What’s great about the crowd is that everyone’s already singing every line like it’s their last, and not only are we all appreciative of this but so is Jack, his smiles and disbelief at everyone’s participation showing he’s a down to earth, earnest guy. Highlights of the evening are most definitely the energy filled Fire, along with the hauntingly chilling The Love You’re Given and heart warming Weathered- Garratt doing this with great passion that spreads through the audience.
As much as I don’t want to be negative, I did feel a bit let down from the crowd I was surrounded by at some points. First of all, I’m astounded at the amount of people that still think you should film/take pictures through an entire gig. A lot of the time I found myself having to physically view the show through someone’s bloody screen because I was so surrounded by them I couldn’t even see Jack. On top of this, the disrespect I mentioned in Kacy’s set didn’t seem to completely disappear. Surely when an artist says they’re going to play a “really quiet song” that “means a terrible amount to them” as an added extra because we’ve been a really good crowd, that’s your indication to shut the fuck up and appreciate them? Evidently not. You have to either be stupidly drunk or stupidly ignorant to think talking through something like that is acceptable, and both of those things are quite frankly rude.
But I refuse to end on a negative. Garratt himself was extremely impressive to watch, his added crescendos and intense lighting set up building upon his spectacular show. Overall, a really fun night, topped off by meeting the man himself and seeing the elated faces of my mega-fan friends as they got to give him a hug. It’s this complete happiness that really brings the night to a wonderful end.
8/10
