Photo: WENN
Kurt Vile walks onto the stage St James church with a meek grin and an unassuming wave of the hand. The 34-year-old’s inconspicuous demeanour (Vile’s stage attire for this evening consists of a retro Adidas track jacket, pair of skinny jeans and trainers) coupled with his languid delivery contrasts spectacularly with the opulence of the tonight’s venue - the breathtaking 17th century St James’s Church in Piccadilly.
Any concerns that Vile would be held hostage by the beautifully imperious, if slightly impractical, venue are immediately put to bed as he, without pomp or ceremony launches into the set opener which complete with “I don’t give a fuck” refrain. A man of genuine humility, at one point Vile tells the audience (who are either crammed into row upon row of stiflingly uncomfortable pews or craning their necks in order to peer over the balcony) “it’s great to play for you in such a sacred place, a holy place”.
'Smoke Ring for My' Halo follows, after which 'Walking on a Pretty Day' joins the party demonstrating the full breadth of Vile’s remarkable guitar talents After an hour’s performance and having switched seamlessly between guitar a banjo he departs, again with a simple wave and appreciative nod to the audience.
Given the fact that it’s typical for a Vile number to run to 6 plus minutes this doesn’t allow for the most extensive of setlists, however given the quality of the performance a quibble such as this is an irrelevance. Vile returns to the stage joined by the excellent support act Pall Jenkins for a one set encore of 'Baby’s Arms', the opening track from 2011’s breakthrough Smoke Ring for My Halo, before taking some time out to sign records and pose for pictures.
In a house of God, there was only one figure being worshipped tonight. Thank the Lord for Kurt Vile.
