Category Archives: Gigography
London Crystal Palace Bowl – 11th August 2023
Setlist
Johnny Yen / Isabella / Waltzing Along / Sound / Hymn From A Village / Medieval / She's A Star / Out To Get You / All Good Boys / Come Home / Tomorrow / Sit Down / Beautiful Beaches / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Laid / SometimesSupport
Happy Mondays / GirlbandMore Information & Reviews
Review: David Brown @ Even The Stars
“James feel like they’re on a roll right now, there’s an on-stage energy and creative tension that makes them thrive. They’re ready to take risks but also understand the need to give everybody something to walk out the door with, mixing the known with less-known, confident in the latter to win the crowd over. From the likes of Johnny Yen and Hymn From A Village through to Isabella and Beautiful Beaches, they’ve discovered an anti-ageing serum that all of us in the crowd would love to bottle and apply.”
Read the full review at Even The Stars
Review: Neil Dowden @ Music OMH
“From their 1990 breakthrough baggy album Gold Mother, Come Home has the crowd singing along as does their biggest hit Sit Down, with Booth conducting everyone in an extended a capella chorus. He dedicates it to the memory of their former collaborator Sinead O’Connor, paying tribute to her whistleblowing in particular. Booth, who has entertained with frenzied whirling dervish dancing and constantly engaged closely with the audience at the front, goes one step further during Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) as he surfs on the crowd. James close with the gospel-like Sometimes with the chorus “Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul” bringing everyone together at the end of the evening.”
Read the full review at Music OMH
Review: Radio X
“Tim Booth and co took to the stage at the Crystal Place Bowl for a 17-song set, which was preceded by support from Girlband and fellow Mancunians the Happy Mondays”
Read the full review at Radio X
Review: Andrew Perry @ The Telegraph
“If pop’s history books were to be believed, James should really have been the support, not the headliners, on this sunny evening in Crystal Palace Park…”
Read the full review at The Telegraph (paywall)
Darlington Arena – 5th August 2023
Setlist
Sound / Isabella / Waltzing Along / Born Of Frustration / Walk Like You / Hymn From A Village / Come Home / Zero / She's A Star / Out To Get You / Say Something / Sit Down / Ring The Bells / Beautiful Beaches / Getting Away With It / Sometimes / LaidSupport
Editors, Maximo Park, The Kairos, Pigeon Detectives, Pale Blue EyesMore Information & Reviews
Review: Andrew White @ The Northern Echo
“Booth was at his magnetic best when the climbed down from the stage and into the crowd for ‘Come Home’, walking among the faithful and rising above them by climbing onto a fence to deliver a tour de force vocal. It was spine-tingling stuff.”
Read the full review at The Northern Echo
Review: Lynne Thwaites and Thomas Jackson @ So.co
“Tonight we’re treated to the hits (and there’s plenty of those!) alongside some deeper cuts. The biggest cheers are reserved for the big three of course (Sit Down, Getting Away With It and show-closer Laid) but the band could have omitted them, as they often do, and the show would have been no less superb. “
Read the full review at So.co
Y Not Festival – 29th July 2023
Setlist
Sound / Isabella / Come Home / All The Colours Of You / Tomorrow / Out To Get You / Sometimes / Sit Down / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Ring The Bells / LaidSupport
More Information & Reviews
Dundee Slessor Gardens – 28th July 2023
Setlist
Sound / Isabella / Waltzing Along / I Know What I'm Here For / All The Colours Of You / Walk Like You / She's A Star / Out To Get You / I Defeat / Tomorrow / Sit Down / Beautiful Beaches / Ring The Bells / Sometimes / Come Home / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up)Support
Razorlight / The Clause / Tom A Smith / Arms AgainstMore Information & Reviews
Review: David Brown @ Even The Stars
“Sit Down is taken away from the band by the crowd and made their own and if Tim hadn’t stopped them they’d probably still be singing it now. It can be a cliche with audience singalongs but not when it’s this spontaneous. As if almost to prove a point the crowd don’t pick up Sometimes at the end so it comes to a slightly abrupt stop. It probably affords them an extra song as they quickly decide to ditch the encore ritual and finish with Come Home and Getting Away With It (All Messed Up), chosen off the hoof from a list of possibilities that means there’s a few moans about the exclusion of Laid. But this is James, you don’t get everything you expect or want every time, but you are pretty much guaranteed a joyous occasion, plenty of unique moments and a band that is thriving now as a unit more than they’ve ever done, reviving old songs and giving them new life and magic, throwing in the odd curveballs and never neglecting their most recent work.”
Read the full review at Even The Stars
Latitude Festival – 23rd July 2023
Setlist
Sit Down / Dust Motes / The Lake / The Shining / Tomorrow / Born Of Frustration / Someone's Got It In For Me / All The Colours Of You / Many Faces / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Say Something / Medieval / Sometimes / LaidSupport
More Information & Reviews
Review: Mark Savage @ BBC Entertainment
“The highlight is Sometimes, which ends with a long, lingering chorus that alternates between the choir and the crowd. The band line up at the front of the stage to take it in, clearly moved at the response.”
Read the full review at BBC Entertainment
Review: Nick Linazasoro @ Brighton And Hove News
“We kicked off the final ‘Latitude’ day at the main Obelisk Arena. However, traffic to the festival was backed up a few miles, whereas it hadn’t been the past two days and so time was ticking and by the time we arrived on site we could hear on the wind at 12 noon that today’s openers, James, had started to perform their ‘Sit Down’ anthem. I was surprised exactly how far the sound was carrying. We quickened our pace, but as it’s such a large site that it took us several numbers to arrive near the front of the stage. ‘Dust Motes’, ‘The Lake’, ‘The Shining’ and ‘Tomorrow’ came and went.”
Read the full review at Brighton And Hove News
County Laois Forest Fest – 21st July 2023
Setlist
Walk Like You / Isabella / Sound / Waltzing Along / Curse Curse / All The Colours Of You / She's A Star / Five-O / Ring The Bells / Sit Down / Out To Get You / Beautiful Beaches / Tomorrow / Born Of Frustration / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Sometimes / LaidSupport
More Information & Reviews
Thessaloniki Moni Lazariston – 12th July 2023
Setlist
Isabella / Waltzing Along / Curse Curse / Senorita / All The Colours Of You / She's A Star / Johnny Yen / Say Something / All Good Boys / Moving On / Out To Get You / PS / Attention / Sit Down / Tomorrow / Born Of Frustration / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Walk Like You / Beautiful Beaches / Sometimes / LaidSupport
More Information & Reviews
Athens The Odeon Of Herodes Atticus – 10th July 2023
Setlist
Magic Bus / We're Going To Miss You / The Shining / Dust Motes / The Lake / Beautiful Beaches / Say Something / Space / Ten Below / Moving On / Nothing But Love / Hymn From A Village / Born Of Frustration / Sit Down / Love Make A Fool / Medieval / Someone's Got It In For Me / Alaskan Pipeline / Of Monsters And Heroes And Men / She's A Star / Hello / Riders / Laid / All The Colours Of You / Many Faces / Top Of The World / Tomorrow / SometimesSupport
More Information & Reviews
Halifax Piece Hall – 8th July 2023
Setlist
Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / All The Colours Of You / Waltzing Along / We're Going To Miss You / I Know What I'm Here For / Medieval / Five-O / Sound / Born Of Frustration / Beautiful Beaches / Sit Down / Sometimes / Laid / Come HomeSupport
Jamie Webster, Tom A SmithMore Information & Reviews
Review: David Brown @ EvenTheStars.co.uk
“Gigs in the rain can be magical and special and tonight’s very much felt like that. The band reacted to the situation when they came back on stage and the audience just let go of any inhibitions determined to have the best time and to make the night unique despite the drenching they got. The Piece Hall gave James and their fans two very different nights and experiences, but ones that will last long in the memory – it’s been thirty-four years since the band last played in this magnificent square, hopefully it won’t be anywhere near as long before their next visit.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
Review: Sarah Fitton @ Halifax Courier
“The show had to be paused for around 20 minutes to wait for lightning to pass but even with the heavy rain, the audience were singing along in full voice.”
Read the full review at Halifax Courier
Review: Laura Dean @ God Is In The TV Zine
“Stronger and more salient than ever, James remain to be one of the best live bands around. Their second night in the beautiful surroundings of the Piece Hall was a clear insight into not just the magic that they produce as a nine piece, but how much fun they’re having whilst they do it.”
Read the full review at God Is In The TV Zine
Halifax Piece Hall – 7th July 2023
Setlist
Johnny Yen / Waltzing Along / All The Colours Of You / Interrogation / Born Of Frustration / Space / Out To Get You / Hymn From A Village / Medieval / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / Just Like Fred Astaire / Moving On / Nothing But Love / Sit Down / Sometimes / LaidSupport
Jamie Webster, Tom A SmithMore Information & Reviews
Review: David Brown @ EvenTheStars.co.uk
“Moving On is dedicated to loved ones passed and with Tim and Chloe singing it to each other, the emotional resonance is strong particularly as the sun goes down. There’s then an amusing moment as Tim beckons the choir down to sing the harmonies of Nothing But Love, but Dave starts up Sit Down. Dave blames Saul for the mistake, who takes responsibility, before joking that it was really whoever wrote the setlist’s fault. The choir becomes one of five thousand for the rousing latter-period Nothing But Love, before losing themselves collectively in an uplifting Sit Down, a song that feels reinvigorated this year and a beacon of light in a dark world.”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
Review: Gareth John @ The York Press
“Tonight’s show feels timeless, the rising sounds carried beautifully by Booth’s distinctive and textured voice, the agile and energetic frontman leading the band in rounding off their set with the hauntingly beautiful Sit Down, the somewhat spiritual Sometimes and the quirky yet wonderful Laid.”
Read the full review at The York Press
Review: Sarah Fitton @ Halifax Courier
“The Manchester legends – who play at The Piece Hall again tonight (Saturday) – were on top form as they delivered iconic hits including ‘Born Of Frustration’, ‘Waltzing Along’, ‘Laid’, ‘Nothing But Love’, ‘Sometimes’ and ‘Sit Down’.”
Read the full review at The Halifax Courier
Review: Izzy Clayton @ Backstreet Mafia
“Opening the set with ‘Johnny Yen’ the band take fans back to their early days with the song being a release from the band’s debut album ‘Stutter’ back in 1986. As the second song starts ‘What For’, both Deborah and Chloe join the band on drums as well as the Inspirational Voices Choir. During ‘Waltzing Along’, Tim comes off stage and greets fans on barrier before performing the song whilst stood on the barrier – holding a person’s hand in the crowd for support.”
Read the full review at Backstreet Mafia
Review: Helen Millington @ RGM
“The band open with ‘Johnny Yen’, followed by ‘What For’ and then crowd favourite ‘Waltzing Along’. It was at this moment the crowd were in for a special treat as Booth leapt down from the stage and gracefully balanced on the barrier (with the support of a few bewildered fans). For the entire song, Booth perched on the railing holding onto a fans arm, with another steadying his leg. The crowd lapped it up and sang along.”
Read the full review at RGM
Leicester De Montfort Hall – 4th July 2023
Setlist
Magic Bus / We're Going To Miss You / The Shining / The Lake / Dust Motes / Beautiful Beaches / Space / Moving On / Ten Below / Nothing But Love / Born Of Frustation / Tomorrow / Sit Down / Love Make A Fool / Medieval / Someone's Got It In For Me / Alaskan Pipeline / She's A Star / Hello / Riders / Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) / All The Colours Of You / Many Faces / Say Something / SometimesSupport
N/AMore Information & Reviews
Review: David Brown @ EvenTheStars.co.uk
“Saul makes a point of dedicating Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) to the crew who make this whole thing work, and watching it at closer quarters this really wouldn’t be possible without their skill, expertise and ability to adapt quickly to whatever ideas the band throw at them last minute. The audience starts clapping along to which Tim says they have to be really in time otherwise it’ll completely fuck up the timing – Joe conducts the audience clapping and it all stays intact. They then finish the main set with an uplifting All The Colours Of You, where again the song’s inherent dramatic cuts and pastes of its creation in a studio with Jacknife are brought to life with live instruments before it segues into Many Faces, the choir in a line at the front as they improvise their way through repeatedly singing the song’s core message that ‘there’s only one human race, many faces, everybody belongs here.'”
Read the full review at EvenTheStars.co.uk
Review: Emily Miller @ Niche Magazine
“An astounding 3 hour gig with all the hits and so many talented musicians – James prove themselves to be as relevant and as exciting today as they ever have been. “
Read the full review at Niche Magazine