Shooting Our Mouths Off

On Saturday 7th March, the band played in Valencia for the Heineken House Festival at Roig Arena – their first full-band show of the year.

With it being a festival set, the band played things relatively safe with the setlist and there were no real surprises – those are likely being saved for the warm up dates for the arena tour, where they can test tracks in front of a smaller audience. Starting exactly as they meant to go on, ‘Sit Down’ opened the set. It served as a warm welcome back for Debbie; since she doesn’t drum on the track, she was free to roam the stage with her tambourine and lose herself in the moment for the first time since the North American tour, which she left at the end of to begin maternity leave.

It didn’t take long for Tim to venture out to meet the audience. During ‘She’s a Star’ – just two songs in – he prowled up and down the walkway in front of the barrier, clasping hands with fans and eventually climbing up onto the barrier itself. From there he sang directly to the crowd, almost as if surveying his kingdom, before returning to the stage for the swirling ‘Interrogation.’

Much of the set mirrored the North American tour, with several songs reappearing, including the low-tempo, atmospheric ‘Five-O’ and ‘PS,’ as well as the fiery ‘Heads.’ With pounding drums and impassioned vocals taking aim at American politics and inequality, the track has always carried an urgent, raw energy – one that lands with even greater force in today’s climate.

‘Way Over Your Head’ appeared later in the set than usual, its emotional pull amplified by being followed by ‘Tomorrow,’ a song the band have pushed to increasingly euphoric heights over the past year. As the set neared its close, the energy only intensified. The band tore through ‘Getting Away With It,’ delivered by Tim from the middle of the crowd and surrounded by a sea of people, before powering through ‘Beautiful Beaches’ and ‘Sometimes.’

Most bands with a song like ‘Sit Down’ in their back catalogue would struggle to find a fitting closer after opening with it, but James have never been short of crowd-pleasers. The night came to an end with ‘Laid,’ its instantly recognisable intro and anthemic chorus providing the perfect send-off.