Music
James Bay, O2 ABC, Glasgow
Jonathan Geddes
Two stars
Given that he now has a chart-topping album and a return date at the O2 Academy already booked in for September, James Bay's current jaunt is already taking on an intimate air. The fact he struggled to impose any character into this hour-long set was, therefore, disappointing.
In fairness to the Hertfordshire singer-songwriter, he admitted early on that he was battling a cold, and he wasn't helped by the crowd either. While plenty were in sing-a-long mode throughout, a decent number also chatted endlessly and buried themselves in phones, there more to say they'd seen Bay than actually watch him perform.
But the man himself was culpable too. It was a close run thing as to whether he or his hat showed more personality, and an early diet of unremarkable tunes that were well structured but little else didn't help. His voice is decent, but the slick sheen accompanying his songs meant it rarely got a decent airing, save the rawer, pared back Scars, which was mostly just voice and guitar.
That was easily one of the night's best numbers, along with the rolling swagger of Hold Back The River and the punchy guitar fuelled Best Fake Smile. The rest, however, stayed in neutral throughout - big drumbeats, "wooah-oh" choruses and mildly bluesy guitars stripped of any threat.
That will, of course, secure further chart success, but whether it was mild mannered festival anthem If You Ever Want To Be In Love, the civilised pop of Need The Sun To Break or mid tempo rocker Get Out While You Can, the entire evening was achingly polite. And that is a description that should never accompany pop.
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