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Jamie T kicked off iTunes month-long residency at The Roundhouse last night and despite it being the hottest day of the year Jamie Treays and his band were well up for it from the start.
He has come along way from the ramshackle performances the band became known for in their early days. Opening to ‘Brand New Bass Guitar,’ Treays asks the crowd ‘are you ready for a dance?’ His energy from the opening bars is electric and the crowd feed off his enthusiasm form start to finish. New single ‘Stick ‘n’ Stones’ falls mid-set and has the all the lyrical depth of anything on Panic Prevention (“When there's no one left to fight / boys like him don't shine so bright”) but it has also had the Pledge treatment and is suitably radio-worthy.
That said, newest offering ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’, is not so. A stripped bare first chorus supersedes a snarling bassline but the track lacks pace and attitude of ‘Operation’ or ‘If You Got The Money’ that precede it and it ends disappointingly in a shouted-vocals.
In a 12-track, 55minute set; Treays saves his best 3 til last. For ‘Salvador,’ he is up on the amp conducting the crowd. ’’From here to Salvador the ladies dance / To fill us reckless sons with the passions of heart.” ‘It’s getting a bit hot in here, deal with it!’ he shouts before launching into the ska-influenced ‘Dance of The Young Professionals,’ also on his latest EP and also worth a look. ‘Shiela’ though, released twice a single, is still his biggest tune. By the end of the first line the crowd are in raptures and there is an almost festival atmosphere as the lights come up.
However, it’s over in a flash and they’re off to play another gig. Barely 10 o’clock and still light outside it feels like the night is only just beginning and the crowd are a little miffed despite the free ticket, calm down dearest he didn’t say, another Stella?
