Review: Jake Bugg – Capital FM Arena – 20 February 2014

From Clifton to Capital FM Arena is a helluva journey in a few short years, making our Jake’s closing words of “I never thought I’d get to play here” ironic in that despite his self-effacing, almost shy stage presence (eschewing between song banter preferring instead to let the songs do the talking), one was left with the idea that he was born to be here.

Following a solid half hour salvo from local boys THE SWIINES who amply addressed some jealously snide charges of nepotism (yes, the singer is Bugg’s cousin, yawn) with a well-aimed fuck you in the form of a setlist of straightforward rock and roll that warmed the pleasingly big crowd up nicely for the main event: you don’t get to headline the Rescue Rooms (this Saturday 22/02/14) or play the arena by being crap and The Swiines triumphantly proved they are anything but.

Be-suited in trademark smart casual, acoustic guitar in hand and bang! ‘There’s a Beast Inside and We All Feed It’ – the opener from current album ‘Shangri La’ – pretty much set the tone for the next all too short hour and twenty minutes. Twenty yard shot after twenty yard shot of sing-along anthems hit the back of the net – ‘Two Fingers’, ‘Taste It’ Messed Up Kids’, ‘Seen It All, ‘Trouble Town’, they were all there – with the adoring masses chanting along to  every word.

The power of Bugg’s vocal and instrumental delivery, coupled with the tightness of his band, led to perhaps the only meandering attack that failed to hit the target just before half time with an acoustic solo brace of ‘Pine Trees’ and the gorgeous ‘Broken’; lacking the deftness of touch that these songs require, he seemed to leave himself a little exposed at the flanks. No matter, the oft made charge of shameless retroism leveled at him (and precisely what is wrong with that is a question I often ask of doubters) bothered the crowd not one bit with a waving cigarette lighter visible among the swaying sea of Samsungs and iPhones, showing that he welds the old and new to winning effect in a manner that David Moyes would kill for.

Strapping the Tele back on for a final twenty minute assault, the fans were left wanting more and it was delivered by an encore of an assured ‘A Song About Love’ and climaxing in a massive ‘Lightning Bolt’. “Thank you for making the night special” said Bugg before leaving the stage. No Jake, it’s as simple as this:  thank you.

 Review by Rob Fitzmaurice