Saw Jamie T again

Promise this will be my last jamie related post for a while. I'm even starting to bore myself. Saw him at Brixton Academy on Friday. This is my review written for the day job

The last time MTV caught Jamie T live we’d only heard one track from his second album Kings & Queens and didn’t realise it was set to be one of the most accomplished records of 2009.
Since then it’s had time to bed in with the thousands at Brixton Academy- these shows were originally scheduled for October before throat issues caused them to be moved.

Tonight Jamie and (his live band) The Pacemakers open with gentle B-side St Christopher as a prelude to the real business. Then it’s Man’s Machine- which typifies everything great about last year’s album. Opening with an obscure vocal sample and simple piano it ends with layers of raps, shouts and a near perfect chorus.

British Intelligence, 368 and Earth, Wind and Fire show that the South London boy takes influence not only from punk’s smartest writers but also baritone crooners and maverick rappers.



T’s next single Emily’s Heart shows that he can pull off a folk ballad too and also gets a decent sing-along from the hometown audience. Many of whom seem to be old school JT fans who appreciate early tracks like Northern Line and Diego as well as hits If You Got The Money and Sheila.

The indie icon- in skinny jeans and baggy white t-shirt- admits to being nervous but still saves his best recent tracks till the encore. Spider’s Web mutates joyfully from a ukulele ditty about “top bananas” and “in jokes about Americana” to a skittering drum n bass monster.

Then Sticks N Stones closes proceedings with sing-along hooks and lyrics that mean everything and nothing at the same time. Which just about sums up all the best pop music.