Undoubtedly, Jamie Woon is a great artist to listen to recorded. With the attention to detail in the production of his songs, the blend of genres that his music encompasses and his catchy riffs and lyrics, it comes as no surprise that Woon came fourth in BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll. However, it’s his live sets that really see Woon come into his own.
The introduction to his gig was funky, stylish and bass-driven and this definitely set the tone for the evening. While the drum and bass led the way through the opening, the powerful score was matched by an equally powerful voice, with Woon’s soulful and rounded tone filling all corners of the venue. ‘Sharpness’ was perhaps the track, from his latest album, that everyone was most looking forward to hearing. It serves as the perfect way to close his set.
Woon and his band’s reappearance for the encore was evidently appreciated by the audience, as was the performance of ‘Lady Luck’, a fan-favourite from his debut album that fully flaunted the talent on stage. No doubt, the cool and rhythmic ambiance was sustained from the beginning of the gig right to the very last beat, leaving the crowd buzzing.
Although his musical abilities as an individual are blatant, Jamie Woon’s talent is definitely underscored by his band, who perfectly compliment his vocals and guitar. His two male backing singers were definitely standout members of the ensemble, serving as haunting echoes to Woon’s vocals, as well as hyping the crowd up for Woon, whose own stage presence was rather modest and humble. Woon shared the spotlight with them wonderfully during the performance of ‘Celebration’, the track featuring Willy Mason from his second album, in which they filled Mason’s role wonderfully, demonstrating the full extent of talent on display.
The singer-songwriter was certainly well-received by the audience. If the fact that the gig was sold out wasn’t testimony enough to his popularity and steady fan base, the number of people singing along to his songs and the warm reaction every track received certainly proved Woon to be a hit with the crowds. While a rather tipsy lady standing nearby screaming an array of requests and compliments at him in between songs perhaps wasn’t completely representative of the crowd, it’s easy to suggest that everyone watching him could partly relate to her. Upon Woon leaving the stage, the audience wanted more. When the encore came to and end, they still wanted more. Let’s hope that more is what we get, and that it isn’t long before his first tour since releasing his debut album is followed by a second.
Sophie Clark
