Great show from saviour of British guitar music
Jake Bugg, St David’s Hall
WITH the release of his new album Hearts That Strain, Nottingham troubadour Jake Bugg brought his solo acoustic tour to Cardiff in a commanding performance through his back catalogue.
Blistering onto the scene in 2011 at Glastonbury and later with his self-titled album, the singer-songwriter was looked on as the single torch beater for British guitar music in an age of bland banality.
His early songs Trouble Town and Two Fingers packed a punch of social realism detailing life on a Nottingham council estate juxtaposed with the dulcet crooning of Country Song and Broken.
His second album Shangri-La built on the muscular rock riffs and anthemic ballads of the first album while third album On My One was more experimental with a hip-hop influence.
On his latest offering, Bugg turns to his spiritual roots of Nashville for his country-tinged indie folk songs.
Second song into his set, armed only with an acoustic guitar or two, the breezy How Soon the Dawn showcased Bugg at his melodic best and really complimented the stripped down arrangements of the show. This can be said for all of the songs new songs of the album, including Hearts That Strain, Southern Rain, In the Event of My Demise, Indigo Blue and Waiting.
The Nashville influence can also be seen in Bugg’s choice of covers, which included the late Glenn Campbell’s Wichita Lineman and Elvis Presley’s Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues which were absolutely spellbinding.
While the new songs were well received, the intimate venue of St David’s Hall went ballistic for the fan favourites with B-side Strange Creatures, Trouble Town, Slumville Sunrise and Lightning Bolt especially, bringing the crowd to their feet.
You would never tell Bugg’s shy on stage demeanour and light banter with the audience could change into the raucous modern-day Lonnie Donegan spitting bars down the mike unless you witnessed it with your own eyes.
A great one man show from, in my opinion, the saviour of British guitar music.
Philip Dewey