An anti-Clause 28 gig with The Stone Roses in support.
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James are all about food. At the close of their set, singer Tim Booth remarks, with considerable disdain, “This is the last song and it’s dedicated to all those journalists who think we’re Buddhist vegetarians.”
Not me pal. First, I’ve never written about James before and second, because it should have been obvious to anyone over the past three years that, live at least, this band are rampant carnivores.
Some things don’t change, thank heavens and Tim Booth still shakes. For those unaware of what I mean, at appropriate moments in certain songs he comes on like a rag doll with a gyroscope for a backbone and judders violently at immense speed.
Not only is it fascinating and exciting to watch, but it can serve as an escape route for awkward moments, like in the first song tonight “So Many Ways”, when the sound quality was
atrocious and things looked extremely dodgy.
Tim went bananas and everyone felt a whole lot better, the band most of all.
“We have to sort this out now, because we’re going to be ruthless tonight,” said Tim referring to the sound problems. But, although they earned top marks for effort, the sound remained variable and this was a less than ruthless performance.
Having previously thrilled to some high-octane Jamesian burnouts in small-scale venues, I know they can do better. They are a very intimate live band and the expanses of the T&C appeared to cramp their style. On the long term musical front, however, there seems no cause for concern as the liberal sprinkling of numbers from the forthcoming Stripmine album proved that James are still amongst the land’s finest pop bands, nonconformist and just slightly mysterious.
“So if you came for a Buddhist vegetarian party, f**k off!”
Right Tim, mine’s a kebab with extra meat.
There’s not a cardigan in sight as Manchester oddballs James prepare to launch their most recent bid for major success.
Previous attempts have tried and failed, but James have survived. Now they’re back, and as they take the wraps off their new material in the concrete confines of Manchester’s newest venue, they look likely to succeed this time around.
They have shrugged off the born again Vegan label. although their angular folk leanings poke through the pop shroud every now and again. They kick off a 14 song set with ‘Johnny Yen’, an awkward, tottering song, but delivered with a crisp confidence, suggesting that James know where they are heading. They pile into the new single ‘Ya Ho’ and it becomes obvious that nothing is going to go wrong in front of the sell-out home town crowd. As James go from strength to strength, the dancing, ringing guitar style of Jimmy Gott turns tonight into a celebration. With the wind behind them and the crowd on their side, ‘So Many Ways’ was staggeringly good.
But the most valuable player award for the best performance goes to Gavan Michael Whelan, the drummer without whom James could kiss their ambitions goodbye. His subtle stickwork does much to bring power and panache to the James sound and if anyone deserves credit. it’s him. And as if to prove that they can do it that way as well, the encore is a three vocal version of ‘Folklore’, accompanied only by the bass, Judging by the reactions of the crowd. James did more than enough to keep their foot in the door Now all they need is to get their fingers in the pie.
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