Shooting Our Mouths Off

On 23rd November 2014, James brought their La Petite Mort tour to a triumphant close at Leeds’ First Direct Arena – a fitting homecoming for frontman Tim Booth, who was born in Yorkshire.

The band arrived to a huge reception, with Tim making his entrance last before announcing that they were about to put the audience to the test with something unexpected. That surprise came in the form of ‘All Good Boys’, the atmospheric B-side to 1999’s ‘I Know What I’m Here For’. A bold choice to open a show with such an unfamiliar track, it built gradually before reaching a haunting a cappella conclusion. Tim later admitted the decision had been nerve-racking, but it immediately paid off, setting the tone for a night full of surprises.

The band followed with ‘Frozen Britain’ from La Petite Mort before launching into the unmistakable ‘Say Something’, sending the arena into full voice. It wasn’t long before Tim broke down the barrier between performer and audience, climbing into the crowd for an early crowd surf while somehow continuing to sing. Returning to the stage, he joked that he hadn’t expected to “go for a swim” quite so early in the evening – but the moment perfectly captured the unpredictable energy of a James live show.

The set featured seven songs from La Petite Mort, all delivered with the same passion and intensity that has defined James’ performances for decades. ‘Interrogation’ was a particular highlight, arriving after Tim and trumpeter Andy Diagram returned from the seating area following a captivating rendition of ‘Sound’. The remainder of the set journeyed through the band’s extensive catalogue, with Tim introducing ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ as their “only real love song” before moving into ‘Lullaby’ – a song he revealed was a favourite of Peter Kay.

Before ‘Lullaby’, Tim shared a touching story about a fan whose life had been deeply affected by the song’s subject matter, creating one of the evening’s most poignant moments. That emotional atmosphere continued as he asked the crowd for silence before dedicating ‘All I’m Saying’ – the band’s then-new single – to a friend who had recently passed away. His vocal delivery and physical performance made it clear just how much personal meaning the song carried.

Despite the emotional moments, humour remained central to the evening’s charm. During preparations for ‘Go to the Bank’, guitarist and violinist Saul Davies found himself out of sync with the rest of the band after preparing for the wrong song. Explaining that he normally had time to appear halfway through ‘Go to the Bank’ before preparing for ‘Getting Away With It’, he was quickly reminded by bassist Jim Glennie that he actually begins the latter on violin. In true James fashion, the band responded by throwing in ‘Jam J‘ instead, with Saul joking about the band being “old now” and asking the audience for spare glasses.

Tim also apologised in advance for any mistakes during ‘Go to the Bank’, which had never been performed live before. Aside from a brief drumming mishap from David Baynton-Power, the song was delivered flawlessly, although the mixed reaction from the crowd suggested it may remain one of the band’s more divisive deep cuts.

Throughout the evening, James’ chemistry was impossible to ignore. Tim regularly watched his bandmates with admiration, danced alongside them and allowed himself to be completely consumed by the music. Saul Davies was particularly impressive, effortlessly switching between violin, guitar and percussion while adding another layer to the band’s already rich sound.

The audience played a huge part in making the night unforgettable. As the opening notes of ‘Laid‘ rang out, the arena erupted, with fans taking over the entire song before Tim had even begun singing. Although the band restarted the track for the official performance, Tim simply admitted: “sometimes it’s better when you do it!” – even if the famous high note on “pretty” proved a challenge for the crowd.

Tim’s trademark ecstatic dancing was another highlight, and before the encore he invited “ten frustrated dancers” from the audience onto the stage during ‘Gone Baby Gone’, creating a moment of pure joy and celebration. The evening closed with the timeless ‘Sometimes‘, but even the approaching curfew couldn’t bring the moment to an end. Tim told the crowd that while the band had to stop playing, they didn’t have to stop singing – and they didn’t.

Thousands of voices carried the song around the arena as Larry Gott gently accompanied them on acoustic guitar, leaving fans to continue the chorus even as they exited the venue. The words “sometimes when I look deep into your eyes, I swear I can see into your soul” echoed long after the final note had faded.

James’ La Petite Mort tour finale was everything a closing night should be: emotional, unpredictable and completely unforgettable. A fitting celebration of a band who continue to prove that their live shows remain as powerful and captivating as ever.