James McVey’s sold out gig at The Poetry Club on December 4th is a fitting celebration of his solo music. Christmas lights, rugs and a lamp make for a homely vibe, as McVey and his band, introduced mid show as Harry, Josh and “Gandalf” aka Alex, perform an intimate show. He starts off the set with ‘Blood and Bones’ and ‘All The Things’, then plays a debut performance of ‘State of Mine’.
Before playing a cover of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’, McVey borrows a Santa hat from a girl in the crowd, despite some disagreements from the audience over whether the track is a Christmas song (personally I associate it with Shrek). Regardless of this, the crowd sing along loudly, making for a glimmer of unity and hopefulness during a dark winter day.
In an improvised moment, McVey invites opener Grace Gachot on stage to sing ‘Strangers’ with him, a track originally recorded with Lilla Vargen. The two singers’ vocals compliment one other perfectly, and the song felt all the more powerful when accompanied by just one acoustic guitar.
‘Thick and Thin’, a track about one of McVey’s longterm friendships, shows exactly how he connects with his younger audience. When performed with a band, this song is the musical equivalent of driving down countryside roads as a teenager. Considering this, it isn’t surprising that after the song finishes McVey says that he always wants to barn dance to the song.
Speaking candidly to the crowd, McVey comments “turning 30 was weird for me because I felt for the first time an overwhelming feeling of mortality”, and discusses the difficulties of leaving behind loved ones when going on tour, not knowing if or when you’d see them again. McVey is making a poignant observations about life and how to process the death of loved ones when a train runs over the tracks above the venue. It feels like a fitting reminder of the fact that life goes on, people are always on the move, perhaps not taking the time to feel difficult emotions, as McVey points out. Afterwards, he plays ‘Hold On To The Times’, which was a touching performance of a track about his late grandad.
McVey gave his audience a glimpse into what’s to come with unreleased track ‘Sometimes’, put together during the writing cycle for his second EP. However, it did not end up on ‘Letters Home’. This performance revealed an upbeat, happy sounding song with lyrics about wanting to escape. I have no idea why he’s holding onto it. This song seems like it would eclipse the success of his previous work due to its catchy sound and honest lyrics.
Due to persistent requests from fans, McVey plays ‘Protocol’, a song released on The Vamps’ album Cherry Blossom, paying tribute to long term fans, who started supporting him as the band’s guitarist. McVey’s vocals are strongest during the crescendo that is ‘30,000 Feet’, my personal favourite performance of the show.
McVey’s interactive show strikes the perfect balance between comedy and vulnerability, showcasing his ability to make his audience laugh and also connect with them on a deeper level. He stays behind after the show to meet fans at the merch stand, something which few artists who have reached his level of fame would do. It all shows McVey as a brilliant performer and an artist who values a close connection with his fans.
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