Shooting Our Mouths Off

Many bands mark album anniversaries with full-album tours, but for a group that thrives on improvisation and unpredictability, that’s never really been James’ style. Following a successful North American tour last year – where Laid holds particular affection among fans – and with some encouragement from their manager, the band surprised by deciding to take the full album on the road there.

Of course, the band approached it in their own inimitable way. Aside from the first couple of shows, when they were still finding their footing, they didn’t play the album in order, keeping each night full of surprises. With the addition of Adrian, Chloë, Andy, and Debbie, they also reimagined several of the original arrangements, giving the songs new depth and dimension.

To celebrate the success of the tour, we’ve taken a deep dive into how Laid has stood the test of time – exploring how the album was reimagined for the stage, the surprises that unfolded along the way, and the subtle reinventions that kept audiences guessing.

Out to Get You

The album opener, ‘Out to Get You’, frequently closed the first set – and sometimes the second – serving as the perfect moment to settle the crowd before the interval or the night’s finale. Though gentle and slow-building, its extended outro featured an electrifying violin and bass duel between Saul and Jim each night. Often crouched on the floor, they fed off each other’s improvisations, crafting a thrilling, spontaneous exchange that captivated the entire audience.

Sometimes

‘Sometimes‘ served as the penultimate track on most nights – a euphoric anthem that the band clearly relish performing wherever they go. In its current arrangement, Debbie steps out from behind the drum kit, guitar in hand, to join the rest of the band at the front of the stage, amplifying the song’s powerful sense of unity and shared energy.

Interestingly, the song came up during a conversation at one of the band’s VIP sound-checks, where they talked about how they occasionally give their bigger tracks a break. This particular song, however, has been a staple at nearly every show and hasn’t been rested in quite some time. When the idea of finally giving it a pause was brought up, Saul was fully on board, while Jim seemed a bit more hesitant.

Dream Thrum

Though ‘Dream Thrum’ was performed only sporadically around the release of Laid, it returned to the setlist in 2008 and has since become a regular staple – most recently before this tour at this year’s Sonorama Festival in Santander. The track’s subtle melancholy and deeply introspective mood are grounded in its hypnotic, looping guitar line – making it a nightly standout that highlighted Adrian’s masterful musicianship.

One of the Three

A long-time fan favourite, ‘One of the Three’ made its first live appearance since 2016. Reimagined in a lower key than its original 1993 version, the performance captured not just how the band’s sound has matured, but also their instinctive ability to reinterpret their past with sensitivity and depth. The new arrangement fit Tim’s voice beautifully – still powerful, but now carrying a richer, more reflective emotion that only time can bring. With Andy and Chloë adding warm, textured harmonies, the song felt renewed, breathing with fresh life while retaining the heart that made it so loved in the first place.

Say Something

‘Say Something’ is undoubtedly one of the band’s most underrated singles. With its raw vulnerability and honest lyrics, it resonates on a deeply emotional level. It’s no surprise, then, that Tim often chose it as the soundtrack to his journeys into the crowd – singing directly to fans at the barrier, strengthening that emotional bond and dissolving the divide between stage and audience.

Five-O

A longtime staple in the band’s set-lists, ‘Five-O‘ has always soared live – but on this tour, it reached new heights, propelled by Saul’s relentless, fiery violin work that felt as if the world were teetering on the edge of collapse. In Seattle, his extended intro seemed endless, leaving Tim momentarily unsure of when to join in. At the Vancouver show, he even snapped a string on his bow – but undeterred, he pressed on with unshakable intensity.

P.S.

Each night, ‘P.S.’ demanded attention with its restrained, mellow drum pattern and a gentle guitar intro that gradually grew in intensity before Tim’s vocals took centre stage. Always a beautiful highlight in the band’s sets, the song truly flew this tour, thanks in large part to the band’s improvisational spirit and Saul’s breathtaking violin work. A recent addition, Adrian’s subtle guitar licks perfectly complimented Tim and Chloë’s harmonies, adding depth and texture as the song steadily built to its powerful, emotional climax.

Everybody Knows

This tour marked the long-awaited live debut of ‘Everybody Knows’. A quietly reflective track, it brought a moment of emotional stillness to each show, often drawing a deeply attentive response from the crowd. While it may not be among the most prominent songs on Laid, its subtle power lies in its pacing and placement – blending seamlessly into an album rich with gentle, introspective moments, where its strength becomes more fully realised.

Knuckle Too Far

Several tracks from Laid hadn’t been played live since 1994, including ‘Knuckle Too Far’. One of Tim’s favourites to perform on this tour, the bass-heavy track carries a laid-back vibe. While the album version does feature some raw guitar work, it pales in comparison to the gritty, scuzzy edge that Adrian brought to the live version, which was a thrilling contrast to the track’s chill foundation.

Low Low Low

Often overlooked and long rumoured to be one of the band’s less-favoured tracks on Laid, its upbeat, cheeky tone offers a refreshing contrast to the album’s generally introspective mood – both in the studio and on stage. Though Andy wasn’t part of the band when the album was originally recorded, he crafted new trumpet arrangements specifically for this tour, turning ‘Low Low Low’ in particular into a standout moment. Featuring a triumphant trumpet intro and playful flourishes throughout, the song came alive each night, clearly delivering pure joy to the band and the audience alike.

Laid

Always saved for the end of the set, ‘Laid’ drew an enormous reaction each night. Tim often let the crowd take the lead, singing the first couple of verses unaccompanied before Dave kicked in with the unmistakable drum intro that allowed the song to burst into full gear. A live staple since the album’s release, you might not expect it to sound so different after all these years – but it does, thanks in no small part to Andy’s exuberant trumpet lines, which lift the track to joyous new heights.

Lullaby

A poignant track that has only surfaced sporadically in set-lists since its 1993 debut, ‘Lullaby’ made a welcome return on this tour after last being performed in 2019 at Southampton Guildhall. Its most memorable live moment, however, remains the Live in 2008 album, where it was famously introduced by comedian Peter Kay. Performed solely by Mark, Adrian, Jim, and Tim, the song was a haunting yet beautiful moment in the set – with Mark’s delicate mid-song piano solo providing a powerful, spine-tingling highlight each night.

Skindiving

‘Skindiving’ opened the second set for most of the tour – and for good reason. Each night, Chloe confidently stepped into the spotlight to deliver the vocals solo, perfectly showcasing the unique energy and emotional depth she brings to the band’s nine-piece lineup. Each night, she received an enthusiastic response, but in Los Angeles, the reaction was so overwhelming that it left a huge smile spread across her face – a genuinely heartwarming moment to witness. The track also offered a glimpse into Dave’s versatility as he stepped out from behind his drum kit to pick up a bass, adding another dynamic layer to the performance.