Shooting Our Mouths Off

James first performed in Boston back in 1992 at the iconic Paradise Rock Club – the venue originally slated for this tour. However, due to high demand, the show was upgraded to the larger House of Blues, where the band previously shared the stage with The Psychedelic Furs in 2019.

The venue sits right next to Fenway Park, giving some of the band a chance to wander around the iconic home of Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox before making the short walk to Berklee College of Music – renowned as the world’s largest independent college of contemporary music and alma mater to legends like Quincy Jones.

“I never went to music college – none of us did. But if we had, I’ve heard Berklee is one of the best!” – Andy

Back at the venue, vinyl copies of Laid were neatly arranged for the band to sign before the show – limited editions destined for the merchandise desk.

For the first time on this tour, the band abandoned their usual two-setlist format in favour of one continuous, immersive performance – opening with a brooding rendition of ‘One of the Three’.

Tracks from Laid were seamlessly woven together with fan favourites, three cuts from Yummy, and a powerful version of ‘Heads’ from Living in Extraordinary Times. Driven by pounding drums and raw, almost shouted vocals, it’s easy to see why the latter has earned its place as a standout moment in the band’s 2025 setlist.

The main set wrapped up with the joyous ‘Sometimes’, before the encore slowed the pace with ‘Skindiving’, allowing Chloe’s vocals to take centre stage. The night reached its climax with a lively, full-throttle rendition of ‘Laid’, leaving the crowd buzzing long after the final note.