Shooting Our Mouths Off

A few months ago, indie legends announced their seven date ‘Better Than That’ tour of intimate venues that they haven’t performed in for many years. One venue being Warrington Parr Hall, which hosted a recording of their 1991 gig before the release of their Seven album the following year. Since the announcement, the band have released a four track EP of the same name.

The show burst into life with a thunderous opening performance of ‘Hank’, one of the band’s newest tracks, arriving with real force as a line of floor toms appeared on stage for Jim Glennie, Andy Diagram, Tim Booth and Saul Davies to hammer away in unison. Without pause, the band rolled into ‘Coming Home Part 2’, another fresh addition that explores the darker side of life on the road, with Tim revealing to the crowd that he had just missed his son’s 14th birthday. Despite only debuting the song in Llandudno the previous evening, the audience quickly latched onto the chorus, and by the final refrain it already carried the weight of a long-established anthem.

Both new songs were met with huge cheers, setting the tone perfectly for the evening’s first major sing-along during the euphoric ‘Gone Baby Gone’ from La Petite Mort. Live, the track took on a sharper, more abrasive edge than its studio counterpart, while also giving Mark Hunter the chance to showcase his exceptional keyboard work. The communal atmosphere only grew stronger through the haunting beauty of ‘Moving On’ and the ever-uplifting ‘Ring The Bells’, before Tim made his first trip to the barrier during the irresistibly infectious ‘Better Than That’.

Alongside the introduction of new drummer and percussionist Debbie Knox-Hewson, the night’s first real surprise arrived with ‘Scarecrow’ from Stutter, performed live for the first time since 1990. The deep cut was followed by a beautifully delivered ‘Protect Me’, giving the set an unexpectedly emotional turn. The slower, more restrained version of ‘How Was It For You’ that became a fixture during last summer’s shows also returned, providing a stark contrast to the explosive energy of ‘Curse Curse’. The latter saw another crowd-surfing moment from Tim, who paused briefly to ask fans to stay present and enjoy the experience rather than immediately raising their phones in front of him.

The atmosphere darkened dramatically for the brooding new track ‘Busted’, accompanied by intense lighting that perfectly matched its mood. Andy’s soaring trumpet lines alone made a compelling case for the song’s place on the EP, but what truly elevated it was the way the entire band locked together around it. One of the defining qualities of James as a live act is the way each member’s individual strengths combine into something far greater, and ‘Busted’ captured that chemistry perfectly.

‘Five-O’ followed, opening with an extended violin passage from Saul that was both haunting and mesmerising. Tim often seems just as captivated by his bandmates as the audience are, and during this moment he simply sat and watched, completely absorbed in the music unfolding around him. Another new track, ‘Heads’, continued that collaborative spirit, bursting with inventive percussion, restless creativity, and a thunderous bass line from Jim that hit with real force.

To say the band face an impossible task when putting together a set list from a catalogue of more than 250 songs would hardly do it justice, yet it’s something they continue to master night after night. While every new track made an impact, the one that seemed destined to become a future crowd favourite was ‘Many Faces’, a song that already feels capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with beloved staples like ‘Sometimes’ and ‘Nothing But Love’. Written as a response to Donald Trump’s proposed wall along the Mexican border, the song carried enormous emotional weight, leaving many in the audience visibly moved. As the repeated chorus built towards its climax and sections of the crowd began singing along, Tim himself appeared deeply affected by the moment, overcome by the connection between the band and the audience.

‘Born of Frustration’ saw the fearless frontman clamber up the speaker stack and onto the balcony of the stunning venue, with Andy following suit – albeit via the more sensible route of the stairs. Once the track reached its final notes, there was barely a moment to catch breath before both were back on stage, Andy ready with tambourine in hand and Tim already counting the band in for the synth-siren opening of ‘Come Home’, which swept across the venue as soon as it hit. The band left the stage after ‘Come Home’, leaving the crowd wanting more.

For the encore, the band returned with a striking change in setup – everyone except Tim armed with guitars. Echoing a past Top of the Pops performance, it was unusual to see Andy without his trumpet, while Dave Baynton-Power stepped out from behind his kit and into the frontline of the arrangement. ‘Sometimes’ – long established as one of the band’s most powerful live moments – has become a setlist staple, but this reworked version brought a refreshing twist. Stripped of routine, it highlighted just how much the band relish reinterpreting their own material, playing with a renewed sense of energy and shared enjoyment. As expected, it delivered the night’s biggest sing-along, with the crowd carrying the chorus well beyond the final notes.

Saul gently introduced the final song of the night on acoustic guitar, setting a quiet, intimate tone. Tim then took a seat on a flight case between the barrier and the stage, delivering a tender, stripped-back version of ‘Laid’ in close connection with the crowd, who joined in softly as it neared its close. Just as the moment seemed ready to dissolve, Dave’s unmistakable, slightly chaotic drum intro crashed in, flipping the atmosphere on its head and sending the entire venue into celebration as the full original arrangement took over. It was a perfect reminder that no two James shows are ever the same – unpredictable by design, yet consistently delivered with a sense of range, musicianship, and career-spanning brilliance.