Shooting Our Mouths Off

James have built a remarkable connection with Portuguese audiences over the years, consistently attracting huge crowds and some of the warmest receptions of their career. One of two Portuguese shows this summer, their performance at MEO Marés Festival further cemented that enduring bond.

‘Five-O’ returned as a powerful opener, easing the crowd into the Saturday night set with the beauty of its violin-led introduction and rich band harmonies before the band launched into ‘Waltzing Along’ and ‘Ring the Bells’. ‘What’s the World’ made a welcome return after featuring in Tynemouth, this time appearing much earlier in the set. Its raw emotion and stripped-back feel showcase a different side of James, taking the audience back in time to the band’s earlier days.

After missing out in Tynemouth, ‘Shadow of a Giant’ returned to the set, giving Chloe her moment in the spotlight as she delivered the song’s haunting choral opening. One of two       Yummy       tracks performed on the night, it was joined by ‘Way Over Your Head’, which continues to grow into one of the band’s most compelling live moments. With its soaring instrumentation, emotional depth and increasingly powerful outro, the song has developed a real sense of scale on stage, becoming more anthemic with every performance.

The impressive stage setup added another dimension to the performance, with an extended thrust allowing Chloe, Debbie and Andy to join Tim out front throughout the set.   The scale of the audience did nothing to deter Tim and Andy from their trademark crowd excursions. Andy appeared on a balcony to deliver his trumpet solo during ‘Sound’, while Tim launched himself into the audience for ‘Born of Frustration’, crowd surfing above a sea of delighted fans.

‘Nantucket’ made its Portuguese live debut late in the set. Given its rapid-fire lyrics and intricate instrumentation, it’s remarkable that the band are able to perform it so deep into the show – a testament to both Tim’s vocal performance and the band’s exceptional musicianship. Despite not yet being officially released, the song is already proving to be a firm live favourite.

The Portuguese crowd were in magnificent voice as the final three songs – ‘Sometimes’, ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Laid’ – brought the set to a memorable close. Every word was sung back to the band, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. During ‘Laid’, Saul’s guitar cable stretched far enough for him to join Tim, Chloe, Andy and Debbie on the thrust, creating one final, celebratory moment at the front of the stage.