Shooting Our Mouths Off

James kicked off their summer run on Saturday 27th June with a performance at the Port Vell in the Port de Barcelona. As part of the Blaumari Music Festival, the band took to a stage floating on the sea, creating one of the most picturesque settings imaginable for the opening night of their summer shows.

Saul opened the show with the lengthy, exhilarating violin intro to ‘Five-O’ – a thrilling way to kick off proceedings, just as it had at several of the arena shows back in April. ‘She’s a Star’ followed, with Adrian’s iconic slide guitar taking centre stage. As the first anthem of the night, it instantly raised the energy, igniting both the band and the crowd.

There was barely a moment to catch a breath before the band surprised everyone by launching into ‘Getting Away With It’. Usually saved for later in the set, its early appearance was a welcome twist, prompting one of the biggest crowd reactions of the night and providing the perfect soundtrack to Tim’s first trip to the barrier. The mood took a darker turn with ‘Interrogation’, its brooding atmosphere and driving rhythm creating a striking contrast to the songs that came before it. Tim delivered the lyrics with gripping conviction, while the band locked into the song’s relentless momentum.

A change of pace followed with ‘Way Over Your Head’, the only song played on every night of the arena tour and a consistent crowd favourite despite only being two years old. Its singalong outro stretched beyond the band’s final notes, continuing a growing live tradition. Fellow Yummy track ‘Shadow of a Giant’ came next, with Chloe delivering its angelic opening vocals from the front of the stage while Tim took a seat on the drum riser. His rich, resonant voice provided the perfect counterpoint to Chloe’s, creating one of the evening’s most striking moments and a reminder of just how beautifully their voices compliment and intertwine.

The tempo rose for ‘Heads’, and so did the intensity. Tim has never been afraid to tackle serious subject matter in his lyrics, and it’s not just the words that reflect the current political climate in America. Adrian’s brooding cello, combined with Chloe’s driving percussion, gives the song an ominous edge that translates brilliantly live. The tension soon gave way to celebration as the unmistakable opening drum beat of ‘Sit Down’ rang out.

From there came ‘Born of Frustration’, its instantly recognisable guitar melody – one of the finest in the band’s catalogue – beautifully delivered by Saul as Tim ventured into the audience, saying that he’d see how far he could get before the microphone fed back. It proved a successful mission, allowing him to dance alongside fellow fans while the rest of the band effortlessly held the song together onstage. They continued to do just that as ‘Say Something’ began while Tim made his way back to the stage.

After a triple hit of high-energy favourites, the band stripped things right back with ‘Out to Get You’, which saw Mark step away from his keyboard to play the melodica. One of James’ greatest strengths is their willingness to constantly reinvent their songs, meaning no two performances are ever quite the same. Here, the Laid favourite featured an extended outro that gradually built into glorious chaos, with Debbie and Dave’s thunderous drumming contrasting beautifully with the song’s delicate opening, while Saul attacked his violin with a ferocity that suggested the world was on the brink of collapse.

‘Nantucket’ followed and proved to be the standout moment of the set. Introduced during the arena tour, the new song has continued to evolve with each performance and now sits confidently alongside the band’s established classics. Anchored by Mark’s intricate keyboard and synth work, which weaves seamlessly through the rest of the instrumentation, the song sees Tim navigate an avalanche of lyrics with remarkable ease. The most noticeable change since the arena tour is its structure: the previous breakdown has been removed, allowing the song to maintain its momentum from start to finish – a change that makes it all the more effective live.

‘Sometimes’ followed, bringing the crowd together in the way only it can. Although the audience were fully invested, the customary crowd-led extended outro never materialised, most likely due to the festival’s strict curfew. ‘Ring the Bells’ came next, with Tim enjoying himself so much as he danced around the stage that he missed the opening line. It continues to showcase just how much the band are thriving in their current incarnation, with everyone clearly relishing the performance. Chloe and Andy’s vocal interplay towards the end added another layer of richness to an already vibrant arrangement.

The main set closed with ‘Sound’, with its water-themed visuals offering a perfect complement to the stage’s unique setting. Its running time is never fixed, instead shaped by the band’s spontaneity and musical chemistry, and in Barcelona they crafted one of the evening’s finest performances. Jim’s inventive bass playing was particularly striking, driving the improvisation forward, while Andy disappeared before re-emerging on the walkway to deliver his trademark trumpet solo.

When the band returned to the stage, Tim explained their approach to building each night’s setlist, revealing that they always check what they played the last time they were in a city. Hoping the crowd wouldn’t mind a repeat offender, they launched into the synth-driven ‘Come Home’. By this point the heat was relentless, but it did little to dampen the atmosphere. Not a single person stood still as Tim prowled up and down the walkway, singing directly to fans and feeding off the energy of the crowd. The night came to a close with ‘Laid’, introduced by Saul on acoustic guitar. Short, sweet and endlessly uplifting, it’s always a joyous way to end a show, made even more special by Andy’s triumphant trumpet line – a flourish absent from the original recording but now an integral part of the live version.

Considering it was the band’s first show in two months, you might have expected a few signs of rust, but there were none. They played with the confidence and chemistry of a band already deep into a tour. Packed with favourites and driven by an infectious energy, the setlist was perfectly judged for the festival setting. If Barcelona is anything to go by, James’ summer run is off to a flying start.