Jamie T 02 Academy Brixton, London 5/2/10
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
Granted, James “Jamie T” Treays’ second album Kings & Queens, a breathless, quintessentially London-rooted patchwork of rock, rap, dub and reggae - is significantly better than his debut Panic Prevention. But it’s still something of a shock to find this erstwhile Wimbledon indie urchin's pulling power now extends to two sold out nights at Brixton’s venerable Academy.
Ably supported by his backing band The Pacemakers, the scrawny Treays is an impish, irrepressible Artful Dodger of a frontman, pirouetting across the stage and commandeering a number of instruments, although he’s not above confessing to some nerves at performing in this “luverly venue.”
It's a bit of a shame that certain moments from the excellent Kings & Queens don't quite translate to the sizeable venues he's now capable of filling: rickety ballad ‘Emily’s Heart’, one of that record’s finest moments, is sadly drowned out by a predictably boisterous Friday night crowd.
Still, the rowdier material couldn't be better suited to the evening. Ever the opportunist, the mischievous Jamie uses the initial fluffed opening of ‘Sheila’ to his advantage (“you better sing a bit f***ing louder this time!") whilst a raucous ‘Earth, Wind & Fire’ and the inevitable curtain-call carnage of ‘Sticks & Stones’ cap a splendid night for the local boy-done-way-better-than-expected.
Artists in this article: Jamie T
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