James, Castlefield Bowl. 2nd July 2022

Forever to my shame I didn’t see James live for years. I loved the songs, loved the records, especially ‘Seven’ which is still my favourite, but I wasn’t watching them live in 1992. Granted I was a bit young to be at their now iconic Alton Towers gig, but tonight, 30 years on, they’re reprising that setlist at Castlefield Bowl. I’ve seen them play plenty more recently, making up for the past. I think I know what to expect and those expectations are pretty bloody high. Can they live up to the hype? Well once we get past the boring intro video of people reminiscing for 10 minutes, it’s awesome… obviously. It feels like a calm start, even with ‘Johnny Yen’ kicking things off, taking a few songs to really lock in with ‘Heavens’, Tim shedding the fluffy jacket as the trademark dancing begins. ‘Seven’ and ‘Live the Love of Life’, that sees the megaphone’s first outing are glorious. There’s something about these songs, the rhythm locked in, they way they permeate through everyone, everything, it’s magical. All be honest, I’m up for these songs more, I know them better. There’s quite a few I’ve not heard in years and I’m thankful that the crowd are so up for it, singing along. A James crowd can lift your spirits like no other. ‘Say Something’ sees Tim testing the stage boundaries. He’s like a messiah, the crowd turning to face him as he moves to the sides of the stage, lent into the crowd. It’s a bit of a weird gig. Big, but feels quite intimate. It’s certainly cozy, I can barely lift my arm to drink. James though are all about building an atmosphere and what better way than in a packed out amphitheatre on a summer evening. The sound is miraculously solid considering we’re in the open air. The opening guitar melody of ‘Born of Frustration’ has everyone poised as the sun sets, okay admittedly helped by some dark ominous clouds rolling in. It’s a bonafide anthem, people on shoulders, arms aloft. It’s special. It’s a treat too though hearing a lot of songs I’ve not heard live before, or not that often, like ‘Stutter’ which is fantastic. Those tribal rhythms helped by no less than four band members taking to the drums. All James songs are great but some capture the masses more than others, like ‘Come Home’, the most indie disco friendly monster in their arsenal. It closes the main set, before we do the tedious encore game and they’re back for more. Who can complain through when you get ‘Ring the Bells’, ‘Sit Down’ will a million phones held aloft, ‘Sound’ and ‘Laid’. It’s enough to make your heart swell. Before a curfew crushing ‘Waltzing Along’ and a newer one “For those of you that don’t know, we still release records” introduces the wonderful ‘Beaches’. They finally wrap with ‘Getting Away With It’, the entire crowd delightfully messed up. Was it may favourite James gig? Maybe not, but only because there have been so many amazing nights. This one will live on though, they all will. What a beautiful band.