He’s been compared to Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Noel Gallagher, heady expectations could have affected the 18 year old, however, tonight it was all about Jake Bugg. Recently nominated for the Best British Breakthrough at the Brit Awards, his success is growing rapidly with his first debut album topping the charts. His first UK headline tour was sold out, with critics touting him as the antidote to manufactured pop.
Liverpool’s 02 Academy primed with anticipation of seeing ‘the Bugg’. It was packed with an eclectic mix of the older generation
, evidently a fan of his Johnny Cash influences, and younger fans who appreciate his ‘unique’ voice. Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Crosstown Traffic’ was played prior to ‘the Bugg’ coming on stage which energized the audience into a crescendo of stamping feet. The lights were dimmed and a spot light was set gleaming over the microphone. When he finally made his entrance, it was subdued with barely a wave to the raucous audience. He put his guitar over his shoulder and instantly looked more at easy, with a brief “Good Evening Liverpool”, he boldly began with the last song from the album, ‘Fire’. This edgy start seemed to shock to the audience into silence, listening to his retro, yet somehow modern voice. Bugg stands on stage barely moving, the only signs of movement come from his backing bassist and drummer, however he is entirely captivating. The slow start to the gig is rapidly overturned when he moves on to ‘Trouble Town’ awakening the crowd from the hushed beginning.
Certain songs sounded so similar to the album recording that they lost some of his unrefined sound, Bugg seemed regimented at times. Nevertheless, when he began the Dylanesque ‘Ballad of Mr Jones’, his true song writing talent and poignant voice shone, bleakly describing the outcome of a murder trial. The fantastic guitar solo in the middle burst from the recorded sound and introduced the unique rawness that the audience desired. The beat was accentuated creating a thumping undercurrent beneath Bugg’s crisp voice. ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘Two Fingers’ received the biggest crowd reaction as they danced to the jolting skiffle.
Even though Bugg is from Nottingham, Liverpool embraced him as one of their own. His songs are filled with difficult childhoods, drinking problems, dangerous nights and murder trials, yet none of this seems to have affected the 18 year old who was extremely polite and thanked the crowd after every song. When he announced he would be playing the last song, the crowd answered with boos, evoking a rare smile from Bugg. He returned to play a chilling rendition of ‘Broken’ and ended with a cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues’. His simplistic style on stage fits with his explanation: “I’m just a guy playing few songs.” ‘Some Place’ was the best example of his individuality; all we could see was his silhouette, proving that the image is not important – it is all about the voice.
