Assai Records brought the incredible James Bay to Dundee for a very special intimate show.
Assai Records are wonderfully renowned or bringing big names to Dundee (as well as Edinburgh and Glasgow too) for smaller, more intimate gigs and experiences for music fans. Artists like Biffy Clyro, Sam Fender, Dermot Kennedy and Lewis Capaldi have all performed in Dundee alone.
Having been to a few Assai events both instore and outstore, there is something unique and memorable about the experiences. Assai provide opportunites to see acts in Dundee we would might not otherwise and the shows are always hugely popular.
This weekend saw English singer-songwriter and guitarist James Bay performed a stunning one hour long acoustic set at Church in Dundee to around 250 people. The show celebrated the release of his new album Changes All The Time. Having released two singles from this record Easily Distracted and Up All Night (with The Lumineers and Noah Kahan) both of which instantly grabbed my attention.
James Bay is probably best known for his platinum hit Hold Back The River back in 2014 or Let It Go from his 2015 album Chaos and the Calm and Wild Love from his 2018 album Electric Light. Having won Brit Awards for Best Male Solo Artist and having been nominated for multiple Grammy awards, it’s easy to see why after seeing him live. Bay captivates you, demands attention and brings so much warmth into the room. His acoustic tour to showcase Changes All The Time completely sold out.
“Last time I was in Dundee I had a good night, let’s do the same again”
He started with some cool fingerpicking on his stunning guitar, which gave a bit of a bluesgrass feel to the intro before bursting into ‘up all night’. This song is performed with The Lumineers and Noah Kahan on the album and there is so many wonderful parts of the song to stomps, acapella vocals and hand claps, so to hear it stripped back was pretty impressive. It’s a real testament to Bay’s ability to write such in – depth songs that it can resonate with so many differnt fans. For me, the sign of a well written song is if you can really strip it back to the bare bones and the core holds the same soul and intensity, even without a full band.
“Let me introduce you to my primary school music stand. I know you may think I’m a Pro but I really don’t know all the words to my new songs yet.”
He joked making the show feel exremely personal. This was a chance to learn some of the stories behind his craft – his influences, what brought his music alive and what is behind th lyrics. With a perfectly curated set list showcasing some incredibly poetic songs from the new album – Everburn and Speed Limit being strong candidates for my most played off the album. We were also treated to top hits such as Hold Back The River, Us and Wild Love.
A poignant moment came when talking about ‘Let It Go’ . James described it as the song that carried him when he couldn’t feel he could carry himself. I felt instantly connected, I often think we forget that those ‘stars’ on the stage are real people with feelings and struggles, just like everyone else. Music is so incredibly powerful in so many ways for those, both sides of the stage.
In terms of performance ability, James Bay’s solo set was the most perfect one hour show I’ve had the pleasure to stand and watch. Having never seen him live previously and knowing the records well I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew it would be good but not THAT good. His ability to turn these huge songs into stripped down acoustic versions is nothing short of amazing. Ad – libbing over his own songs, making this particular show unique or those 250 in the crowd standing in awe.
At shows like this, you see a mix of fans – some who have seen James Bay perform multiple times, or groups of friends seeing a poster happy it’s in their local town. Some will be experiencing their first taste of live music (a special night for them) and igniting a passion for live music. It is those experiences that lead to the continued support of live music at all levels.
I have no doubt that with Bay’s down – to – earth approach to the evening, haunting vocals and exceptional guitar playing, there will be people in that crowd inspired to pick up an instrument for the first time. I hope musicians never lose the ability to inspire and ignite the spark in the next generation.
