Review: James, Lloyd’s Amphitheatre – ‘The band shows us just how much talent and passion 40 years can provide’

James celebrates a notable 40 years with a stop off at Bristol’s Lloyds Amphitheatre as part of the Bristol Sounds series hitting the city in late June.

The band has released a double album called Be Opened by the Wonderful and 40 Years Orchestrated, covering a breadth of their catalogue.

As the title suggests an orchestra is featured, for some lucky venues that is part of the show.

Although Bristol didn’t have the full ensemble experience, it didn’t matter at all because James carry enough in their band to show us just how much talent, passion and depth of experience 40 years can provide.

Before the main course our starters were Liverpool quartet, The Kairos. This band are on the energetic end of indie music, gritty, playful and memorable melodies has led to comparisons with The Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian.

There is certainly reason to see why they have garnered such suggestions and after being labelled as ‘up and coming’ for some time, I think their time is starting to come, you don’t get to warm up for James for no reason.

After releasing several new singles this year we were treated to Teetotal, The Thick of It and Time Keeper, they announced a new single out soon but I couldn’t quite catch the name of it.

Do keep an eye out for this band who have a trail of shows across the country including a recent appearance at the Isle of Wight festival.

Next up Bristol artist Emily Breeze kicks off things with the other end of the Indie spectrum, more introspective and avant-garde, providing real-life observations of a strange world.

Emily has already drawn praise in music circles for previous releases spanning back to her debut solo album from 2010 The Penny Arcade.

Having enjoyed some positive press reviews and prime air time on BBC Radio 6 & XFM, Emily has played at Glastonbury and is also a freelance Professional Development Lecturer at BIMM Bristol.

Emily introduced herself to the crowd with a memorable tune with lyrics about life in the 90’s that many can relate to, Ordinary Life.

We journeyed through her back catalogue as the sun went down, passing through Call in Sick Today and Confessions of an Aging Party Girl.

You can hear how Emily has been influenced by the alternative music that Bristol is so great at producing and there is no doubt that her creative, witty music continues that legacy of talent so well.

James stepped up and proclaimed “welcome to all the people who couldn’t get tickets to Glastonbury. Glastonbury wouldn’t have us, it’s a match made in heaven!” this set the crowd up with a fresh set of energy and you could see that people were eager to experience their favourite band with a swarm to the stage.

They hit us with the steady beats and trumpets of Lose Control, through to the singalong “la la” anthem Born of Frustration which ignited the crowd nicely, raising the energy several levels.

James introduced the next song, What For, by saying “This is a song we wrote in 86 about global warming, there’s not much being done about it”.

After the sobering notion of that track we were treated to the baggy Madchester-era anthem Sit Down and they then introduced us to another sure-fire anthem, Just Like Fred Astaire, by saying “This is dedicated to anyone that got married to this song”.

We then were taken into deeper territory with some newer material and a steep build up to Out to Get You, rising up again to a feel good anthem She’s a Star which was heightened by a small orchestral element adding to the tension.

We were treated to beautiful trumpet melodies accentuating the Hymn from a Village before the penultimate track with perhaps what could be the anthem of a corrupt world, Getting Away With it All.

James topped off a superb night with the ultra-catchy song about life, love and sexual frustration, Laid.

Main photo: Ania Shrimpton

Read next:

• Review: Self Esteem, Lloyd’s Amphitheatre – ‘A pop star in every sense of the word’
• Review: Mika, Lloyd’s Amphitheatre – ‘Queer joy simmered through his performance’
• Review: The Levellers and Guests,  Lloyd’s Amphitheatre – ‘Everyone is wlecome in Levellers-land’

Listen to the latest Bristol24/7 Behind the Headlines podcast: