More about: James Bay

It has been a minute since James Bay played to a crowd as big as tonight’s Kentish Town Forum. After a few years away, some sporadic single releases and even a baby, the folk-rock hit maker is back with a vengeance. Testing new tracks alongside old classics and fan favourites, the two blend seamlessly together, providing a joyful and impassioned night out for Bay’s sold out crowd.

Best Fake Smile a track from Bay’s 2014 album ‘Chaos In The Calm’ provides a rousing open to the show. One would never know the song wasn’t released as a single – an deep album cut in actuality – as the crowd roars into the first singalong of the night. New single Give Me A Reason quickly follows, to an equally passionate response. “Let’s pretend it’s a Friday night!” he declares early on, with his adoring audience happy to oblige. From here, it is all guns blazing as the charismatic singer makes his way through some of his most loved and well-known songs. Dramatic guitar solos and moody flood lighting set the tone of the evening, alongside a four piece backing band. If one ever doubted James Bay’s rockstar status, this would be the show to prove them wrong.

There is something wonderfully intimate about the set, despite being the biggest show played by Bay since pre- pandemic. Stories and explanations accompany the yet-to-be released tracks;  he admittedly “gets a bit cheesy” ahead of love song One Life to a sea of “AWs” and collective laughter.  It has been four years since the Hertfordshire native released a full length album and fans have been eagerly waiting. He promises it’ll be out in July, full of out-of-character ‘happy songs’. If tonight’s reaction is anything to go by, fans already approve.

Unsurprisingly it is his biggest tracks that evoke the loudest reactions of the night, as the audience risks out-singing the very artist they have paid to see. Let It Go provides a particularly tender moment, one that feels more poignant after the past couple of years. Known for his heart-felt lyricism, the emotion in the room is palpable. An exhilarating finale of Hold Back The River closes the show as the singer and his 2000 strong choir take one last bow. It may have been a while since JamesBay commanded stages like these, but tonight, it’s as if he never left.

See photos by Sophie Vaughan below: 

Issue Three of the Gigwise Print magazine is on sale now! Order here.

More about: James Bay