Setlist
Waltzing Along, How Was It For You, Ring The Bells, Oh My Heart, Interrogation, Five-O, Sit Down, The Shining, Of Monsters And Heroes And Men, Why So Close, Space, Just Like Fred Astaire, We’re Going To Miss You, Moving On, Born Of Frustration, Come Home, Sound, Johnny Yen, Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), Sometimes, Laid.
Review by One Of The Three
James London gigs are always odd for me. There never appears to be the same love and passion in the crowd that you get at the Northern and Scottish shows. This show was an exception. Right from the start of Waltzing Along there’s an expectant buzz and people are dancing from the front right to the very back of the hall. There’s none of the chatter that could be heard over the quieter or less well known songs from the previous night. The set as well is probably the best of the tour so far – never too far away from a hit but with enough curveballs for the hardcore fan, a set of songs that work perfectly with the choir and some moments of true ecstatic connection between the audience and the band, no more so than when Tim walks out into the crowd on the shoulders of some of the fans during Just Like Fred Astaire. When Tim conducts the audience singing Sit Down, it feels like five thousand people have become one. It also feels like the band have decided that it’s something they should celebrate and let live, rather than be a bit reticent to play it. There’s a sing-off between audience and choir on We’re Going To Miss You as well.
All the elements that have made sets so far this tour so special are in there – the welcome return of a fiery How Was It For You, the two new songs that bode so well for the next album with Moving On already guaranteed classic status and Interrogation going into new sonic areas for the band with Tim’s vocals leading the end section, a beautiful, dreamy Five-O with its extended violin and trumpet intro, tracks like Why So Close and Johnny Yen dating back nearly thirty years but sounding as fresh as ever and the choir, even more so than the previous night and in Glasgow, adding so much to the songs they sing on and Larry nailing those Millionaires and Pleased To Meet You songs that he was not involved in.
The crowd reaction is astonishing and you can see how touched the band are. Bands of the age of James shouldn’t be creating this type of energy and passion, there’s no resting on their laurels, playing the hits, which would the easy route. Another great night.
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