Express & Star

James, Wolverhampton Civic Hall - review and pictures

It's been a quiet year at the Civic, what with all the work going on and just the odd Cheekys to tide us over.

Published

The stripped-back, bare brick walls reveal the progress being made and hint that the hibernation will soon, finally, be over.

What we needed to see out this largely dormant 2016 was a reminder of the venue's raison d'etre; a great gig, a special night, a rip-snorting, bostin', banger of an evening that drills deep down into your memory and stays there for all time.

This, my friends, was it.

James were fantastic, proving - if proof were needed - they are one of THE great live bands of the past 30 years.

It helps when you've got the tunes to back the swagger up and rattle off crowd winner after crowd winner all night long.

Crucially, too, they have the front man to bring it all together.

Supple as a serpent and bossing a Ming the Merciless look at 56 (56!), Tim Booth had nothing but love for the massed ranks of 30, 40 and – hell yes – 50-somethings out to see one of the most durable bands of modern times.

Despite the obvious truth that the old songs have aged well, what sets James apart is that their new stuff is, well, even better.

More crafted, more nuanced, more knowing, more risks.

Accordingly, thirty-odd years into their on-off lifespan, the back catalogue runs longer than an Argos Christmas special.

On Wednesday night, as it's the festive season, we were treated to plenty of old favourites; a howling Born of Frustration, a Madchester nod with Come Home, even a rare outing for singalonga Sit Down.

And yet, even this holy trinity of first-time-round hits didn't stand out, simply because the standard on offer was so high all night long.

In fact, James' newer material is so strong it drew some of the biggest cheers of a noisy old night.

Moving On, Ten Below and To My Surprise epitomised James' bittersweet lyrical prowess and by the time TB appeared on the balcony, hugging the front row for Just Like Fred Astaire, things had taken on an almost spiritual air.

It's always good, too, when the band look like they're pleased to see you and in between crowd-surfing and clambering onto the barriers to hold hands the singer praised the packed Civic crowd for being on best behaviour during the quiet songs.

I have to tell you that this is a rarity in WV1, Tim.

But they're a good bunch these James fans.

And sometimes, when you look in their eyes, you can see their soul.

By Keith Harrison

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