James have ‘Lasted’ 40 years in this music business and have decided to bust out an orchestra and choir to celebrate this and the release of an album of orchestral re-working of some of their best tunes. Tonight was the 3rd date of an extensive tour of concert halls, where they have traded down from their usual arena and festival appearances, but upped the intimacy and quality and variety of performance by 50%.

Photos and Review by John Hayhurst

James’ live line-up has been fairly changeable during the early years and more recently expanded to a nine piece which includes founder members Jim Glennie (bass) and Tim Booth (vocals and eccentric dancing). Adrian Oxaal guitar and sometimes cello, Saul Davies guitars and violin, Mark Hunter on keys, Andy Diagram on trumpet and percussion, David Baynton-Power on drums and other percussion, Deborah Knox-Hewson on drums, percussion and backing vocals, and finally Chloe Alper, also on drums, percussion and backing vocals.

However, tonight there is also a 20 piece orchestra and a choir to deal with, I can only imagine the sound guy or lady tearing their hair out at the thought of getting all that sounding harmonious.

The Orchestra and Choir is led by the maestro Joe Duddell, the ensemble takes to the stage amidst a roar of applause and yet there is no Tim. He has decided to appear amidst the crowd from a side door of the balcony and opens with the electrifying ‘Magic Bus’ He is setting the tone for the evening, tonight will be an intimate and intense evening for many as Booth sings to various audience members as he walks and latterly dances down the aisle stairs to the stage, they are already into ‘Dust Motes’ and the band, singer/dancer and Orchestra/Choir are able to blend beautifully all together. The sound is impeccable. Instrumental melody lines are often shared between the guitars, keyboards, violins and the flute.

Tonight is no greatest hits set, to be honest it is a rare James gig that is, but we get some hits ‘Shes A Star’ sounds majestic and then Andy Diagram appears in the balcony to add his enchanting ‘Dirty Old Town’ trumpet intro to the mesmerizing ‘Hymn From A Village’ followed by the incredible ‘Laid’ sending this crowd (who are all sat down) into a minor frenzy.

Tim Booth speaks to the audience and explains that with this tour they have had to change the set lists up a bit, (it is already very different from Brighton), and this keeps everyone on their toes and the show sounds fresh and interesting each time. The showmanship isn’t just confined to the band. During ‘Ten Below’ the orchestra stands and really goes for it!

‘Tomorrow’ is the closer of the first set and we then have a half hour to catch our breath.

I think it is fair to say that without Tim Booth, James would be a little stale and bland, although he is quite clearly the frontman in all respects, he does this with a bizarre mix of humility and empathy with his audience, coupled with the most bizarre dancing you will see this side of a rave in the 90’s. He has some sort of strapping to his right arm although this doesn’t seem to restrict the shapes he is throwing tonight. I can remember when he had thick permed hair that used to fly all over the place, now pretty much bald he uses a hat to do the same trick. He also likes a bit of a joke and as everyone takes to the stage except conductor Duddell he spies an opportunity to pick up the baton and fake conduct through the start of Bolero. The Orchestra are having non of it though and when Duddell returns they effortlessly launch into ‘Sit Down’. It is pretty much their signature tune and this new reworking is wonderfully stripped back and enriched by layers of strings bringing new dark and despair feelings to the lyrics.

During ‘Say Something’, Tim Booth takes another tour of the stalls, serenading individual fans. If this was a festival it would be the point where he crowd surfs, saw him do this at Glastonbury once covered in mud. There is a distinct outpouring of love and respect coming both ways and you realise what a special moment this is for those fans closest to their hero.

The collaboration with the orchestra and choir worked brilliantly, plenty of enhanced versions of long forgotten classic James songs, and this was a more exciting and intimate way of seeing this amazing live band. Rather than celebrating that James had ‘Lasted’ it felt more like a new beginning.

James setlist:

Set 1:
Magic Bus
Dust Motes
The Shining
She’s a Star
We’re Going to Miss You
Hymn From a Village
Laid
Moving On
Ten Below
Tomorrow

Set 2:
Bolero
Sit Down
Beautiful Beaches
Say Something
Love Make a Fool
Alaskan Pipeline
Riders
The Lake
Hello
All the Colours of You
Many Faces
Sometimes (Lester Piggott)

Encore:
Nothing but Love
Medieval
Top of the World