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Once a young boy wonder taking the UK by storm at the age of 18, now in 2024 Jake Bugg is a seasoned pro embarking on another nationwide tour, this time in support of his recent album ‘A Modern Day Distraction’, the sixth of his career.
First UK Show Of The Tour
The first UK show of the tour for Jake Bugg was at the O2 Academy in Leeds, where he was supported by Stone. If Jake Bugg’s fans were expecting another acoustic Americana influenced crooner, they were soon woken up by the Liverpudlians’ riffs. ‘Money (Hope Ain’t Gone)’ was a particular highlight, with its enticingly slowed pre-chorus before launching into an ear worm of a chorus.
Then came the main act himself. Never one for exuberant stage presence, Bugg and his tightknit band simply just launched into ‘Zombieland’.
Lead Single
The lead single from his recent album, it’s one of his rockiest songs to date. Bugg’s unique vocal style cut through the noise as he touched on familiar themes of working class struggles.
He quickly ran through further highlights from his new album with ‘Breakout’, ‘Taste It’, ‘Waiting for the World’ and ‘Never Said Goodbye’.
Then came the first taste of his early career material which brought him success. ‘Trouble Town’ wasn’t his biggest single from his debut album, but it received a renaissance from being used as the opening theme for the BBC hit series ‘Happy Valley’.
The Return Of Electric
The electric guitars returned with a vengeance on the lightning fast ‘Slumville Sunrise’. Then after ‘Keep on Moving’ he journeyed through more of his albums with the more reflective tracks ‘Maybe It’s Today’ and ‘The Love We’re Hoping For’.
The electric guitars returned with a vengeance on the lightning fast ‘Slumville Sunrise’. Then after ‘Keep on Moving’ he journeyed through more of his albums with the more reflective tracks ‘Maybe It’s Today’ and ‘The Love We’re Hoping For’.
After ‘In the Event of My Demise’, Bugg was left alone on stage with his acoustic guitar and treated the crowd to its first real sing along moment on ‘Broken’.
It was perhaps the highlight of the night, with the delicately plucked chords underpinning the aching vocals from Bugg.
The Energy Was Lifted By Jake Bugg
The energy was lifted again with ‘I Wrote The Book’ and ‘All Kinds of People’, before he finally arrived at the tracks everyone was waiting for.
‘Two Fingers’ remains a drunken sing along favourite over a decade on. Then immediately after was his biggest hit, ‘Lightning Bolt’. Its stomp along rhythms and irresistible hooks brought even those seated at the balcony to their feet.
After ‘Still Got Time’, there was another tender moment with ‘Simple Pleasures’ which rose into a triumphant crescendo. Then came another highlight from his debut album with ‘Simple as This’. It was one last crowd sing along moment, before the band ended with the dance infused ‘All I Need’.
Jake Bugg hasn’t been able to match the chart topping success of his debut album, but he has refined his sound and song-writing into a formula for consistency and longevity. As the near sell-out crowd in Leeds would attest, he has maintained a sizeable loyal fan base, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
To discover more about Jake Bugg and future shows, head to his website here.
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