James 

Live reviews

• James

  Been a fan of James since the 90's and had only seen them once before in Manchester in the Mid 90's (appx) but I am a music fan period and I see a lot of bands/singers but rarely does a gig blow you out of your socks and through the doors like the Llandudno event did - Five new songs on the set-list from the forthcoming album to be released in August - every new song was awesome!

  There was something about the band AND the

  audience at the gig but I couldn't put my finger on it and I left the gig with one goal in mind.... attend Parr Hall Warrington the night after... I tried but it was in vain due to the demand and was sold out 10 minutes after the tickets went on sale. (Source Parr Hall Box Office)

  So, after obtaining a ticket from a great fan in Prestwich Manchester on THE DAY, it was on to the King Georges Hall Blackburn on the Saturday night.

  I didn't think the band could top Llandudno but the feedback from Warrington was amazing and then they performed at Blackburn... I can only describe the gig as IMMENSE! By now I'm out of socks, blown off by the energy from the band and

  the fans... An explosive unification of sound and love....

  I needed a recovery period as I have disabilities, and it was Tuesday I was reading the reviews on Halifax - I just inquisitively had a check on a fan-fan site to see if any poor soul couldn't attend and would sell their ticket for Middlesbrough... lol

  Up I went to Cleveland on Wednesday for the hat-trick. Honest opinion, I think the all-seater venue had a slight dampening effect on both band and crowd although it was still a fantastic gig, it just lacked that explosion that I experienced at the previous two, but take nothing away, this was still an awesome evening.

  I dare say, had I not already been committed to another event on the night of the Finale to the tour in Scunthorpe a couple of days later, I'm sure I would have been heading over the Pennines AGAIN lol

  The new album 'Living in Extraordinary Times' is set for release on 3rd August and to showcase the album the band are playing the rebuilt (2010) Scarborough Open Air Theatre on 18th August, with it's 6500 capacity, I can't see there being tickets available for long.

  (In order to appease younger fans that may not get tickets, Scarborough had to ask Britney Spears to play the 17th August as a second prize for them (lol - Only joking) but it does highlight the attraction of this venue and looking down the list of Artists having played the venue, the names get bigger each year,

  culminating in 2018 hosting The Script, Gary Barlow, Steps, (My sister tells me this group can sell-out 20-30,000 arenas??) Alfoe Boe, Il Divo and Bastille. THE Great Tom Jones having played in July 2017

  The O.A.T is rapidly turning into a must play venue for the top artists and thus the arrival of James and the army of souls that are connected to this remarkable band, both musically and spiritually, will descend on Scarborough with a treat in store for many people at the gig AND within earshot -

  What is certain to be the new anthem of James, MANY FACES, has the most poignant chorus sang by the entire audience for 2-3 minutes, (last tour appx's) in my opinion, if carried on the a low cloud it has the potential to bring the town and it's visitors to a standstill - this is an incredible experience both being in the audience singing along and hearing it.

  Lead singer Tim Booth had encouraged the audience at Venue Cymru (Opening night of the tour) to sing along with the chorus, but I'm not sure even he and the other band members could have expected the reaction from them - EVERYONE was singing these touching four lines back to them. This for me and my three attendances was the highlight of the tour.

  (although available to hear on you tube and was heard live on Jools Holland's show (09/06) the mobile phone recordings at the venues and the missing 3,000 backing singers on Jools's show couldn't reflect the soul caressing emotion the lyrics heard/felt in that fashion induce)

  Llandudno 9/10 - Blackburn 10/10 - Middlesborough 8/10 (The all seater venue just took away a slight edge but still great) Overall 27/30 - As a gig attendee for nearly 40 years now, I like to think I can give fair critical analysis of a performance, the fact I attended three gigs in a week states a lot and using a score from 20 for a single event, 16/20 would be outstanding for any band/artist, only Amy Macdonald, Birdy, Nerina Pallot and Stiff Little Fingers (in my opinion only) have emulated James in the past couple of years..

  If you ever can... YOU MUST SEE JAMES - It's a music experience you will never forget....Needless to say my ticket for the Scarborough event is already sitting in my drawer...

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  by finn67

• James is not a person. That’s the first fact we need to clear up. The second is that their best song is “Sit Down” (which was infamously beaten to the top of the charts by a certain Mr Chesney Hawkes).

  The band has been recording and performing together for most of the last thirty years and has produced so broad a range of music with a fluctuating line-up that they are hard to categorise. Once they were folky, then they mastered late-‘80s jangly guitars, recorded an excellent live album and saw their record company go bust. Then their sound matured: they neatly side-stepped the Madchester scene while riding on its coat-tails to popular acclaim, became big on American college radio with “Laid” and recorded an album of experimental tunes with Brian Eno. They’ve worked with him since too.

  I first saw the band perform live at the Leeds Town & Country Club in 1992. They could have filled bigger venues but they chose instead to perform an acoustic tour in preparation for their upcoming gigs with Neil Young. Stripped of their electric backing, some bands flounder. Not James. The band understands the importance of melody and in Tim Booth they have a singer whose lyrics poetically expose his vulnerabilities. Their 2011 tour with the Orchestra of the Swan and Manchester Consort Choir similarly demonstrated the strength and versatility of the band’s music.

  Yet this band’s sound can just as easily fill arenas. In Manchester, their home, Booth will gladly walk among the audience of the Arena as he sings before returning to the stage for the band to unleash the full power of its art. In conclusion, this is a band which will adapt its sound to the venue and whose next step can never be predicted. See them at a venue near you.

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  by longwayround

• I first saw James live back in 1998, when I was just fifteen. I saw them a further four times between 1999 and 2001, but haven't seen them since.

  I can't properly describe how amazing they were last night (10th May 2016). I was expecting the band to be good, but not THAT good! They may even have been better than the last time I saw them.

  I was (as always) front and centre, so got to witness the entire performance close up.

  Tim Booth's voice was haunting, passionate and beautiful. His stage presence as ever enigmatic, dancing like a man possessed.

  The band were on point, the musical arrangements stunning with the use of strings and brass making their old and new hits sound orchestral in the vintage grandeur of the Bournemouth O2.

  I know James are pros at audience inclusion, and Tim is prone to wander the crowd during gigs, but to have him stood above me on the barrier, then crowd surf across me was brilliant! Then for him to climb back up on the barrier later and come down to dance with us was awesome! I danced with him once before, in Brighton, but really wasn't expecting to have so much interaction with him again this time.

  The new album is great, and the setlist really brought old and new together in a seamless way.

  I really did have a brilliant night, and will make sure I don't leave it another 15 years to see James live again, even though I'm sure they'll still be performing by then - in fact I'm pretty sure Tim Booth will last longer than I will (despite him being 23 years my senior) judging by his energy and how I feel today!!

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  by stephie-dee-dunford-

• Been a fan of James since the 90's, I am a music fan period and I see a lot of bands/singers but rarely does a gig blow you through the doors like the Llandudno event did - Five new songs on the set-list from the forthcoming album to be released in August - every new song was awesome!

  There was something about the band AND the audience at the gig but I couldn't put my finger on it

  I left the gig with one goal in mind.... attend Parr Hall Warrington the night after... I tried but it was in vain, so it was on to the King Georges Hall Blackburn on the Saturday night -

  I didn't think the band could top Llandudno but the feedback from Warrington was amazing and then they did Blackburn...IMMENSE evening! By now I'm out of socks, blown off by the energy from the band and the fans... An explosive unification of sound and love....

  I needed a recovery period as I have disabilities, and it was Tuesday I was reading the reviews on Halifax and I immediately began to 'see' if there was availability for Middlesbrough... lol

  Up I went to Cleveland on Wednesday for the hat-trick. Honest opinion, I think the all-seater venue had a slight dampening effect on both band and crowd although it was still a fantastic gig, it just lacked that explosion that I experienced at the previous two. I am already commited to an event on Friday or I would have been on the mission to Scunthorpe for the finale.... If you ever can... YOU MUST SEE JAMES - It's a music experience you will never forget....

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  by finn67

• "I'm going to see James tonight" is a comment usually met by the response "Who?" or "Weren't they popular in the 90's?" "Oh , I remember them, Oh Sit Down..." etc But let me tell you this band is still amazing. They are current (new album out this year), they are nostalgia (Sit Down) they were ahead of their time in the 80's and the lead singer is as mad as a box of frogs but bloody hell he can sing. Tim Booth is the eccentric lead man of a band full of excellent musicians. The music is many layered and Tim Booth is hypnotic. He dances like he is melting into a spiral and you can't take your eyes off him. I have seen them 3 times now and you get between two and two and a half hours of solid music. He has as much energy and enthusiasm at the finish as he does at the start of the set . The gig on 23.11.14 at the NIA Birmingham was a mix of old and new material. Highlights of which were Tim crowd surfing and singing without missing a note, he appeared in the stands and was mobbed by fans but yet again note perfect. The only disappointment was that they had to miss out some of their big hit s like "She's a star" but I am still incredulous that they didn't do "Sit Down" But, do you know what?, the atmosphere at that concert was electric without it and anymore excitement and I think the crowd would have spontaneously combusted!

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  by louise-marks

• I've lost count of how many times I've seen James. Big venues, intimate venues, even rubbish venues - always astounding. Seeing them has become a pilgrimage rather than a night out and this is how they infect you. They attract & encourage an eclectic crowd who are always well behaved (apart from the dope who threw a bottle and who Tim insisted be ejected - proceless). The set list is always a surprise so beware, familiarise yourself with the back catalogue before you go, no song is so sacred as to leave it out eg "Sit Down" made it last night but I've not heard it live for years. Tim holds the audience in the palm of his hand and jokes that they are not perfect that James "f**k up", but surely that is in itself perfect, reminding you there are human beings creating the sound. To me it's beautiful. Top tip - put your phone away, see through your own eyes, get lost in the music and beckon Tim over. He's likely to accept the invitation. I understand & respect if James aren't your bag but please, please, please find an artist/group that is & watch them live. You won't regret it. I've been to Castlefield Bowl twice and really rate it. A natural space for theatre and really well organised.

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  by mattbennett

• Probably my best James gig ever though I've many to choose from! Stunning location and backdrop of the stained glass windows and domed ceiling of the Albert Hall,. Starting with an excellent set from Slow Readers CLub, James treated us to an improvised mini set/jam/Q&A plus some songs with a 4 piece string ensemble including a heartfelt and sublime version of Sit Down (not a song they play too often), James Allen of Glasvegas also played some songs before our James returned to indulge us with a gorgeous mixture of old and new tracks. My personal highlight was Come Home/ (but then maybe it always is) but in the heart of Manchester it was even more special. They never ever disappoint and always seem to strike the right balance of much loved classics, something you've not heard for a while and what's to come in the future. Brilliant night, a very worthy cause, wonderful crowd and a night you could just lose yourself in!

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  by fayelou

• Absolutely fantastic. James is a wonderful band. I've been a fan since I first got the album, Laid on cassette in high school. However this is my first time to see the band live. The lead singer, Tim Booth was a wonderful show man and the band was really killing it! The band members are talented musicians, there was a horn player and a mandolin even came out at one point. The crowd was entranced and loving the performance. If you get a chance to see James live, I really think you should. I didn't even get to see the main act, Psychedelic Furs but I wasn't disappointed at all. I completely got my money's worth! I would recommend looking into seeing James as a main act. I missed out on "Say Something" and "She's a Star" because there was no time for an encore but the crowd was really wanting one!

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  by Salmonson

• I decided to head to see James on my birthday at the echo arena in Liverpool. And also that i was gonna busk me and my mate way in one way or the other. So i made a sign and found a good pitch just outside the arena. It didn't take long to get some tickets off some kind people who had spares for one reason or the other. made a few beer tokens too so we headed in and found our seats. I've been to see them many times before and they were as good as ever. We enjoyed Born of Frustration the most as he started the song stood right beside. There's a few youtube clips that show my mate offering Tim Booth a beer before he goes climbing through the audience. See you in Brixton and Birmingham in a few days x

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  By Anonymous

• Wow, what an amazing venue, definitely going back there, James came on just like a support act, no smoke, no bells and whistles, just casually walked onto the stage, took their places and played an amazing acoustic set, so laid back but brilliant, then they left the stage, "see you later" said Tim

  Sure enough, back on they came to the more familiar smoke and darkness, although Tim was on crouches, that didn't stop him from dancing, it did, however, stop him from his usual surf crowding, and dance away he did, along with just about everyone else in the venue when I looked around, what a fantastic night, thank you James, yet again, just brilliant, can't wait to see you again and again and again.

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  by paul.daley38