Tonight (18 February) in the intimate setting of Omeara, Jake Bugg performed a spectacular set, with the helping hand of rising star Jade Bird.
Opening the evening, Jade Bird, one of the artists tipped for big things this year, has many of the hallmarks of Bugg: a powerhouse guitar playing singer-songwriter.
If any punters are unfamiliar with her tunes, they leave tonight as fans. Her tiny frame is a machine, churning out country-sounding tunes such as ‘Lottery’, ‘Uh Huh’ and ‘I Get No Joy’, her voice almost too much for the Omeara set-up to handle. Such is her force; she plays one song with a string breaking halfway through.
After a brief interval with a chat with Toby Tarrant, who provided a reminder of the work that War Child does, Jake Bugg walks out to a crowd who have now completely filled out the space at his feet. The singer treads a line of identity that teeters on being simultaneously introverted and self-assured. His talent is exquisite and he stands as an artist that demands more praise.
Throughout the set, he jokes with the perception that he peaked at 19 with his eponymous debut album. After playing ‘Slide’ from that record, he quips “it’s all B-sides from here”. The whole set feels like those lucky bodies sardined into this venue are part of the world’s largest open mic night. The small stage, the intimate crowd and a blistering command over his acoustic guitar creates a warming ambience.
Tonight reinforces the boy from Nottingham is now a man, and a man with four albums already under his belt.Speaking of a new album he says he’ll “carry on writing and playing so long as people want me to”.
The simplicity and pure joy he feels for music is quite a stark sentiment on a night in aid of the fun stolen from children stuck in war-torn zones and the beautiful lyrics in ‘Bigger Lover’, “My nerves won't let me sleep, my hope's strong when I'm weak, you got my heart on my sleeve” encapsulates a special show. Ending on classics ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘Two Fingers’, everyone leaves Omeara eager to hear where this wonderfully enigmatic artist will head next.
