Jamie T with support from The Wytches
Wednesday 28th September 2016 – Limelight 1, Belfast
“JAMIE, JAMIE, JAMIE fucking T!!!!!” the crowd chanted with the floor shaking in Limelight 1 on Wednesday night. Another historical moment after the London born artist visited Belfast while touring with his fourth studio album Trick. This new collection represents the essence of Treays’ skills of combining rap, ska and modern rock into a 12 track masterpiece.
The tickets were sold out, with Jamie T not visiting Belfast since ‘Kings & Queens’ was released in 2009. It seems that his fans could not wait to get off the leash for this midweek gig.
Support came from English heavy rockers The Wytches. Walking on stage at 8:30 PM they shook up the gathering horde with very heavy riffs, Nirvana sounding grunge and punk rock pieces. Kristian Bell [vocals] Gianni Honey [drums] Mark Breed [guitar, keyboards] and Daniel Rumsey [bass], all similar in appearance; long hair covering their eyes, casually dressed in t-shirts and jeans, started off with tracks from the new album ‘All Your Happy Life’. My hat was bouncing up and down my forehead as ‘Ghost House’ finished on guitar and drums. The band did not chat too much apart from wishing everyone a good time. Over 30mins set was enough to prepare the public for the upcoming ‘dynamite’.
First to be played was ‘Tinfoil Boy’, probably the darkest track of his new album which sounds great at a venue like Limelight 1 where the pints are spilled and beer mixes with sweat. Victoria Smith’s outstanding drum skills were shining through the setlist, while Jamie made sure to play each song like it was the very first time he sang it live. He obviously enjoys live shows, dressed in a red t-shirt, jeans and a signature baseball cap he looks almost the same as he did in 2007 when ‘Panic Prevention’ was released.
Next to be played was ‘Power Over Men’ which is currently promoting the album on the radio. It starts with “In the square, I waited for you, trick, trick “. Yes, females do tend to trick males in many different ways and Jamie T is the one who can put it into a song like no other.
He said to the crowd: “I’ve been away for so long, it is good to be back BEEEEELFAAAST”. The lights went down and the roar started again “Whoop there it is, whoop there it is!”. It truly felt like one of these Christmas evenings where your favourite, long lost cousin shows up and you cannot contain your excitement.
Classics from the first album like ‘Shiela’, ‘Back In The Game’, ‘If You Got the Money’ and ‘Operation’, along with tracks from his second release kept the mass thriving with hands up. The solo performance for ‘Sign Of The Times’ with heavy reverbed electric guitar and lyrics “But I wish I’d been a little more exceptional…But I was not enough” reflect the coming of age of an artist who we all used to know as a young, stubborn punk, now standing in front of us as a grown up man with that cheeky look on his face.
‘Don’t You Find’, ‘Rabbit Hole’, ‘Drone Strike’ and ‘Solomon Eagle’ fulfilled the exhaustive setlist ending on the energising ‘Zombie’. It was a very rare treat for all of us who were lucky enough to be there, let’s hope he won’t leave it for too long until the next time.
