Live Review: James Bay in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Concert on 14 March 2024 at Fremantle Prison, Fremantle, Port City of Perth Western Australia.
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
Truth be told – James Bay LIVE is a rockstar adaptation of the studio version.
From the opening track, the Brits Award winner weaved through the stage and ravaged the strings of his guitar, spinning in cacophonic delight and flipping his hair as if he was in a shampoo ad – but with a hat on. The music was explosive with a rock propagation – not just rock-esque, while his stardomship aura was catalysed by the visuals of stadium-like lighting, forming a silhouette of the lanky singer as he lifted his knees and raising the guitar. He gave permission to rise. The crowd sprung from their seats, as if they had just been given the go ahead to play adult games – which was quite unusual considering Perthians are known for being seat warmers. Hundreds of hands were in the air with rock star gestures, poking through the canopy of heads. Bridled chaos ensued. That was the first track in Best Fake Smile – but the eliciting countenances from the faces on stage to the back of the Fremantle prison were in genuine abundance tonight. Welcome to the show of James Bay, as he raised his hand and pointed to the heavens. Hell yeah.
The second and third tracks in Just for Tonight and Wanderlust were as plentiful through the stage presence of James. The crowd remained standing throughout, which resonated with the mood, if not a gesture of their wonderments towards the artist.
“I love it when people stand.”
There were moments of reflections in the ballads such as Us. It should be during those set when the crowd settled onto their seats, but that wasn’t the case. They absorbed the sentiments in the stillness confined in courtyard of Fremantle Prison, which seemed to be the perfect irony of escape under the stars of a cloudless, balmy night, as fans pondered and reminisced in the harbour town.
Then, there was Let It Go – the worldwide hit released a decade ago. The ballad peaked at number 8 in Australia, and the first track by James Bay to infiltrate into the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at 16. The vocals on stage resonated with the message of the lyrics – one of acquiescence, heartache, and despondency. The croon of this UK artist propagated like an ageless journeyman of heartbreak central. His ability to churn out the pain, while plucking the guitar melodies and spearing the lyrics into the hearts of every person who had survived the afterlife of love is inherently gifted. The intonation of his vocals was driven by the visceral connection. The crowd stood motionless for the entire four minutes and a bit, without a single annoying chatter as they relived the moments of rising like the break of dawn after a lost…while trying to let it go.
The duality between rock and ballads of the broken hearts continued with the likes of Craving, as he stomped onto the chorus with the hunger for lust with the occasional clapping of hands with the melody. The curtain was half closed with Scars, an electric acoustic at the intro of a slow number, building towards a poetic crescendo – which James Bay infected his gloomy and fragile heart into the spirits of the fans.
We live through scars this time…coz I can’t grow without you, anymore…
The night ended with Hold Back The River, a banger that’s fitting to the final song on the setlist to leave an upbeat aftertaste for the fans – thankfully, as fans reignited the spirit of moving on from the melancholy and the infinite sadness of spiritual lost.
The truth is, James Bay deserves to be performing in arenas and stadiums like his UK counterpart in Ed Sheeran, although he has opened for the music royalty, as well as for the Rolling Stones and the phenomenal Taylor Swift across Europe. The GQ Man of the Year and Q Awards winner is more than a singer; he’s a story teller through his soulful vocals, the kind that leaves fans speechless though confessional lyrics and the desperation of holding on and it letting go, and occasionally casting a spell of euphoria that will leave an afterthought in the minds for some time.
James Bay will be performing in Canberra and Gold Coast on the 20th and 22nd of March. Visit Face to Face Touring for ticketing info.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Face to Face Touring, Menard PR and James Bay for the media accreditation.
About the Writer/Photographer: Perth based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to over 70 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay, KISS, P!NK, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink 182 and Lizzo with reviews shared by the likes of UB40, Delta Goodrem and Toni Childs. He has interviewed rockers Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 40 artists.
