James @ UEA
Strong, relevant and vibrant, this is not a nostalgia act.
If I had to only use one word to describe last night, it would be ‘fluid’. I’m not talking about the three beers I had before James took to the stage, or the sweat that was dripping off the walls, ceiling and audience, I’m talking about how the indie legends moved through a set of 20 plus songs, spanning 14 albums over three decades. They are currently touring to promote their latest album, Girl at the End of the World, but with a back catalogue of impressive hits and a crowd eager to hear all of them, the set list serves as a constant reminder of how James have shifted, swayed, frequently conquered and constantly prevailed to become one of the most successful indie bands of all time.
Singer Tim Booth, sporting a shaven head and goatee, looked supremely comfortable as he took to the stage, telling the crowd that he had a special “Monday night set” planned for us. I was a bit worried about what he meant by that at first, momentarily fearing an evening of acoustic b-sides or some other such ill-advised musical detour, but in retrospect, I’d have to conclude that Monday nights must be ‘play a load of cool, well known kick-ass songs night’ in the Booth household, because that’s what proceeded to go down.
Swerving away from the obvious and trite (no Laid, no Sit Down…) the two hour set moved back and forth through the albums, and whilst it was inevitable that they’d throw in some new numbers like Bitch and Attention, these sit perfectly side-by-side with classics such as Say Something and We’re Gonna Miss You, and are played so well that their inclusion feels justified rather than shoe-horned or obligatory. It’s no surprise, though, that it's the tracks that earned the band their success that go down the best with the sell out crowd, with highlights including a stripped back version of She’s a Star and my personal sing-along favourite of the night, Getting Away With it (All Messed Up).
There’s a sense of total balance about James’ sound, with the eight-piece line-up using both power and restraint perfectly when required, to move the audience emotionally at just the right moments. Booth’s vocals are equally well measured, soaring and strong at times, and delicate and vulnerable at others, as he commands the stage, swaying and sashaying at/in and indeed, through the crowd. He cannot do this alone, however, and it’s the combination of solid drumming, some impressive brass work that sounds way bigger than the singular trumpet up on stage, and a well meshed mixture of strings and bows that work together perfectly to create a musical experience that crosses from melancholy to euphoria effortlessly.
James is one of those acts that everyone should see given half a chance. Strong, relevant and vibrant, this is not a nostalgia act, this is a band who still have something to say. And you’d be a fool not to listen.
