Shooting Our Mouths Off

On Thursday night, the band returned to the Isle of Man for the first time since 2015 and it felt like they’d never been away. 

Edwardian style, the venue offered the perfect setting for the intimate performance that the VIP soundcheck offered. The band played three songs, opening with new track ‘Stranger to Your Heart’, received its live debut at the last week’s VIP soundcheck in Killarney. The criminally overlooked ‘All Good Boys’ followed before the surprise inclusion of ‘Knuckle Too Far’. With the band’s Australian tour – where they’ll perform Laid in its entirety – just around the corner, it’s clear these songs are already being put through their paces. The small crowd proved the ideal test audience for the bass-driven slow burner, which showcases some of Adrian’s scuzziest and most distinctive guitar work.

Among the questions, one of the highlights came from a couple soon to be married, who asked about the inspiration behind ‘Just Like Fred Astaire’ – the song they have chosen for their wedding. Tim revealed that it was the first song he wrote for his wife, explaining that the line “bridge the gap that wasn’t really there” referred to her father’s initial disapproval of their relationship. With his trademark comic timing, Saul added that his father-in-law had told him he wasn’t marrying his daughter. As the conversation had taken place in Portuguese, he admitted he simply assumed it had gone well. Another audience member asked about the band’s documentary. Tim deftly passed the question to the band’s manager, who explained that the plan is for it to be made available to stream before eventually receiving a physical release.

‘Knuckle Too Far’ opened the night in understated fashion, with just Tim, Jim, Mark, Dave and Adrian taking to the stage. There was an early hiccup when Tim realised he didn’t have the lyrics he had been relying on while relearning the song, prompting him to borrow a fan’s phone. He barely glanced at it, though, which, considering the sheer size of the band’s catalogue, was impressive in itself. ‘Johnny Yen’ followed, injecting the first real burst of energy into the set, before ‘Tomorrow’ soared on the back of the dynamic interplay between Saul’s acoustic guitar and Jim’s bass, its uplifting trumpet line adding another layer of momentum.

As the familiar synth siren that introduces ‘Come Home’ rang out, the crowd erupted. Although clearly wary of getting too close while under the weather, Tim still stepped onto the walkway to interact with those gathered along the front row. The buoyant ‘Ring the Bells’ was met with an equally enthusiastic response and featured a subtle variation. Presumably to protect his voice, Tim left the soaring falsetto to Chloe, who delivered it effortlessly. The pair combined again moments later for the choral opening of ‘Way Over Your Head’, creating one of the evening’s most beautiful moments as they faced each other, their intertwined vocals reflecting the connection between them. ‘Stay’ followed as the second Yummy track of the night, its shifting dynamics rising and falling while Saul’s intricate guitar work provided a steady anchor throughout.

Always a crowd favourite, ‘Say Something’ saw Tim erase the barrier between artist and audience as he stepped into the crowd, singing and dancing alongside fans. Meanwhile, the rest of the band more than held their own onstage, with Chloe on acoustic guitar and Saul effortlessly switching between guitar and violin. It’s a song that appears in the setlist time and again, yet it never loses its ability to connect. As Tim made his way back to the stage, the band eased into ‘Sound’, its swirling instrumentation providing the perfect counterpoint to the smoothness of his vocals as he glided through each verse. Tim has always been quick to celebrate the talents of his bandmates, and when Andy appeared on the balcony to deliver his jubilant trumpet solo – while dancing with those gathered around him – the frontman immediately pointed in his direction, making sure no one missed the moment.

‘Stranger to Your Heart’ received its full live debut, ushering in a quieter, more introspective section of the set. Written about fatherless sons, it’s a song that carries considerable emotional weight without ever becoming musically overbearing. Unfortunately, Tim did have to ask the audience to be quiet before beginning, but the stillness that followed allowed the song’s poignancy to shine through. ‘PS’ followed, beautifully highlighting the band’s chemistry onstage and the way every element of their sound complements the others. Saul’s violin and Andy’s trumpet took centre stage during the extended outro, while another song set to feature nightly on the forthcoming Australian tour, it continues to benefit enormously from Chloe’s addition to the lineup. Her backing vocals add a new richness to the arrangement, intertwining seamlessly with Tim’s lead as both voices drift around Adrian’s short, moody guitar flourishes.

After ‘Five-O’, the reflective mood gave way to the uplifting strains of ‘She’s a Star’. While most eyes naturally followed Tim as he strutted along the walkway, there was just as much joy to be found onstage. Andy and Chloe pointed skywards each time the soaring chorus rang out, a small but telling reminder of how much the band still relish performing these songs. Their enjoyment is infectious, and it’s refreshing to see a group with such a rich catalogue continue to play their biggest hits with genuine enthusiasm.

‘Beautiful Beaches’ followed, drawing a huge response despite not being one of the band’s most obvious crowd-pleasers. One of the greatest joys of watching James live is that no two performances of the same song ever feel quite the same. Evolution has always been central to the band’s creative process, and that willingness to reinvent extends to their live arrangements. Just when it seemed the exhilarating drum duel between Dave and Debbie had reached its natural conclusion, the pair crashed back in for one final barrage, taking an already thrilling moment to another level.

When you have a song like ‘Sometimes’ in your catalogue, there’s never any doubt about how to bring a main set to a close and its unifying power made for the perfect finale. The encore began with a piano-led rendition of ‘Sit Down’, courtesy of Mark, with the crowd carrying several verses before the drums crashed in and Tim took over. It produced one of the loudest singalongs of the year so far, the voices continuing long after the song had ended, finally giving way only as the opening acoustic chords of ‘Laid’ cut through. Short, vibrant and undeniably anthemic, ‘Laid’ remains the ideal show closer and judging by the smiles across the band’s faces as they took their final bows, it’s hard to imagine they’ll leave it another 10 years before returning to the Isle of Man.