JAMES EMMANUEL IS A POWERFUL PRESENCE IN PACKED OUT PERFORMANCE

GIG REVIEW | JAMES EMMANUEL – CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH by Morgan Hermiston

After finally seeing James Emmanuel for the first time at Liverpool’s Sound City this year, I had the chance to see him again, but this time as a headliner. With James being primarily based in Edinburgh, this was a show close to home for both of us, and where better to sell out a show than Cab Vol?

James walked on during the intro of ‘Invisible Lion‘, with the packed out venue making him welcome immediately. The entire headline set was a mixture of immense crowd interaction and the most vibrant vocals. His most recent release ‘Good Man‘ was next, and these two initial tracks were the perfect way to start this memorable headliner.

Everyone accompanying James on stage not only showed off their own talents, but looked like they were having the best time too. When those on stage are obviously enjoying the event, this reflects immediately in the crowd. This setup included drummer Scott Flanagan, bassist Lucas Gilchrist, Edmund Denman on lead guitar, Geoff Angus on keys, and multi-instrumentalist Chris Small on guitar, trombone and trumpet.

Even though the gig was completely sold-out, everyone has space to move and dance along, and it was impossible not to. From catchy bass riffs, to repetitive choruses, a room full of strangers were brought together for an evening of joy and jubilance. James’ stories before tracks like ‘Brothers and Sisters‘, ‘Nothing But Love‘, and debut track ‘Lonesome Man‘ provided various feelings of resonance, relatability and a unique unison that so many try to achieve with live shows.

Penultimate track, ‘So Good To Me‘ was a definite highlight. This saw Emmanuel escape the confines of the stage, and make his way through the entire audience. It felt like the song was going on for a while, but simultaneously, you didn’t want it to end. James pointed the mic at so many of those singing along, giving the opportunity to sing the title-forming lyric back to him. The performance of this song alone is a divine depiction of what James Emmanuel’s shows are about, bringing as wide a range of people together as possible. If you don’t know his material going into the show, you’ll certainly know at least one or two tunes before you leave.

If you haven’t managed to catch James live yet, he was recently announced to be playing at this year’s TRNSMT lineup on the BBC Introducing Stage. He’s playing on the Friday alongside other Scottish talents like Soapbox and Mercy Girl. Other shows include London on 16th June and a couple shows with Nile Rodgers and Chic. You can find more information about these future shows here.

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