Live Review: James Bay - Omeara, London 25/05/2018
"I'm a big fan of this venue", the first words that come out of James Bay's mouth when he hits the stage for a small intimate show at Omeara, and boy did he create something magical.
Omeara is just made for events like this, it has a somewhat mystical vibe about it. It's arch staging with run down walls and quirky lighting, it just seems the ideal setting to create those once in a lifetime moments. Like that one time your dad probably saw Led Zeppelin play to fifty people in a small venue in London, or that time a famous jazz singer plays a smokey alleyway blues bar. You kind of had to be there to feel it. This is one of those venues, and tonight this is one of those shows. Omeara holds maybe three hundred at a squeeze, and it is full all the way to the back for some lad called James Bay.
“I’m here to play some old songs and some new songs, ” he tells the crowd, “at a sensible acoustic level.”. Before we continue we need to mention this is the man who has toured with the likes of Taylor Swift, created music with Alicia Keys and has three Grammy award nominations and his debut album hit number one. So what the hell is he doing in a small venue in South London? Considering in a few days time, he will headline London's Roundhouse.
His set is stripped back, just him and his guitar, plus of course that amazing voice of his. Opening his set with Wild Love, one of singles off his new album Electric Light, and it is not long until the crowd are singing along with him. A grin appears on his face as he lets them join him as he completes the song.
It is little moments like this, that you remember why you love music.
James takes a brief moment to explain how the new album came together, after his debut album was released and he had finished touring it. He discovered his life was boring, and that he had nothing to do. We can imagine it's like climbing the highest mountain, getting to the top and climbing back down, then going what next? Well you find the next challenge, and for James that is writing the follow up to his debut, which is what we now know as Electric Light. It took six months to come together with his friend Jon Green, who he invites on stage to play piano with him for a few tracks.
The new material is welcomed by everyone in the room, but it is the songs he is known for the most that truly hit a chord in the room. If You Ever Want To Be In Love, Let It Go, and set closer Hold Back the River has the whole room joined in singing along with him. But we must remember these are James Bay classics now, so give it a few months, and the whole new album will be the same!
There are some musicians who are made for huge arenas, and there are some that are made for intimate venues. James' voice is made for both, tonight it is on form. It shows you that he is truly a perfectionist when it comes to his craft, the control on it while also giving off so much emotion with each track, with no huge sound system to support you. That is the true mark of an artist!
There is two words to describe this evening. Magical. Appreciated.
The intimacy, the voice and the songs played, just created one of those magical moments that you know you will only get once. And beyond that it was appreciated, by the crowd and by James Bay himself. To get those two things together is what made the evening beyond special.
So James Bay please come back and do it all again!
Words and Photography by Ant Adams