Review: Jake Bugg

All photos credit: Catherine Gundry-Beck

Jake Bugg only turns 19 next week, and yet his music possesses a maturity and sophistication that many acts twice his age struggle to harness.

On stage, he’s like a young Alex Turner – quiet and reserved in his speech and mannerisms, but confident and convincing in his musicianship. Not to mention charming and devastatingly cool. He is joined by his modest backing band of a bassist and a drummer, and the three-piece produce sufficient energy to fill a sizeable venue. When balanced with Bugg’s captivating acoustic performances, the results are remarkable.

Support came first from Irish folk trio Hudson Taylor, with their trendy, Mumford and Sons-esque sound; and quirky American Valerie June, whose 60’s-sounding roots folk sounded like Feist’s long-lost Southern cousin. Her Dolly Parton-like voice proved a tad nasally for the taste of a fair few in the crowd.

Finally, at around twenty past nine, Bugg himself emerged to a darkened stage and a cacophony of noise. His set started slowly, even unconvincingly, with a brief rendition of ‘Fire’ and ‘Kentucky’, a track not present on the youngster’s wonderful debut album. Any worries were firmly put to bed, however, when single ‘Trouble Town’ arrived with assurance and aplomb. It felt like Bugg had shifted up a gear.

New single ‘Seen It All’ was equally well received, as the sprawl of excitable teens directly in front of the stage chose not only to sing along but, oddly, mosh. We were treated to a glimpse of young Jake’s undoubtedly bright future with a new song: a rocky foot-tapper that left much to be excited about, before ‘The Ballad of Mr. Jones’ shifted proceedings up another gear and showcased Bugg’s burgeoning skill as a lead guitarist.

Then came the most breathtaking moment of the set, as the tone was lowered for the stunning acoustic performances of ‘Someone Told Me’ and ‘Country Song’, and a beautifully arranged rendition of ‘Note To Self’. The sublime ‘Someplace’ followed as Bugg truly hit top gear.

With the crowd in the palm of his hand, he produced the killer blow – ‘Two Fingers’. Chaos ensued, continued with ‘Taste It’ and was then magnified for closer ‘Lightning Bolt’. Not since Ben Howard’s ‘Old Pine’ last year have I seen the LCR in such a state of euphoria.

And there was more. Bugg returned to the stage with a stunning acoustic rendition of ‘Broken’ before ending with a finely executed cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues’. A quick thank you to the adoring crowd and he was gone.

No doubt Bugg will revisit the LCR in the near future. And no doubt it will sell out quickly once again. I implore you to make sure you’re there – you can thank me later.