Jamie Lenman

Art by Jamie Lenman

The 16th April, was a quiet night in Aldershot town, until Jamie Lenman took to the stage at the West End Centre and unleashed his white, sticker-clad, Yamaha guitar to the modest sized audience. The reason for the small crowd was that it was a secret gig, used by Jamie and his drummer, Dan Kavanagh, to prepare for their upcoming tour which began eleven days later.

The headline act would not take to the stage for another hour, so those not in the know about the secret Lenman show were pleasantly surprised to learn that the ‘warm-up’ band was such a prestigious act.

For a two-piece band, Jamie and Dan create an enormous thick wall of sound. They are both experienced musicians and have clocked up an incredible amount of live shows between them. Jamie, of alternative-rock band Reuben fame, and Dan of heavy metal goliaths, Godsized, have combined their talents to create something truly special and refreshing for the alternative music scene.

The West End Centre audience was treated to a setlist of classic Reuben songs as well as Jamie Lenman’s innovative two recent single releases, Mississippi and Waterloo Teeth. They also covered a Kerbdog number called Mexican Wave, and debuted a new song called, All of England is a City.

Jamie and Dan were unapologetically upfront with the crowd about using the slot as a pre-tour practice session, which made for a laid-back atmosphere in-between their songs. They were casual and full of banter with each other and the audience but their set was still professional and of a high standard. At one point the stage lights cut out and both Jamie and Dan were forced to play in the dark. After they finished, Jamie thanked the lighting crew for timing the blackout just as they reached a complicated part of the song.

The Reuben numbers were warmly received by the crowd and both Jamie and Dan seemed like they were enjoying playing them. Jamie flicked between rhythm guitar and bass by using an effects pedal which really added some gravity to the sound. He stood firmly at the front of the stage, smartly dressed and confident, his vocals were strong and his guitar playing was exciting to witness live. Dan smashed his way through the night with quick precision drumming, played with ferocious power. His dynamic beats thundered out into the venue and his backing vocals perfectly complimented Jamie’s voice.

Before concluding the set Jamie played Mississippi, which was the first new release since his 2013, debut solo full-length double album, Muscle Memory. The single soared to the number one spot in the U.K. iTunes Rock Chart in January 2017.  It is a beautifully worded song, deeply personal and painfully honest. Hearing the song live was equally as hard-hitting as the lyrics.

When Jamie chugged out Mississippi’s sludgy, beefy riff, there was a rumble of excitement in the crowd. It was clearly already a favourite among fans. Dan further empowered the weighty riff with percussive vigour, while Jamie passionately testified of the song’s integrity by blasting his melodic vocals into the mic. The enormity of the song and the performance was almost wasted on a small venue, housing a passive crowd, but the pair remained expertly in sync and signed off with authority. The bands that followed were no match for the surprise opener.

The Jamie Lenman Tour began in Birmingham and continued in Cardiff, Britsol, Manchester, and London.

The London show took place at Scala, Kings Cross on 2nd May. For a Tuesday night, people came out in great numbers. By the time the first band, Frauds hit the stage the venue was already filling up. 

Two-piece band, Frauds, one of Lenman’s personal favourites, gave a fun, catchy performance, and really created an uplifting atmosphere for the evening. The second band, HCBP, was also a double-act consisting of a solid vocalist/guitarist and a very impressive drummer, who really got the crowd moving with a lively set of heavy numbers.

The venue was packed and the audience was bustling by the time the two men in white came out on stage. Dan was the first to appear. He strode over to his white Tama drum kit and kicked off with the Waterloo Teeth beat. Jamie soon followed and the crowd erupted. When the song finished Dan went straight into Fizzy Blood’s intro. The crowd exploded into a frenzy of thrashing limbs as Jamie screamed ‘Watch out!’ into the microphone. The audience were then treated to a Reuben number, Parties Break Hearts, which caused nostalgic hysteria among the fans.

Scala, London, 2.05.2017

One of the most impressive things about Lenman is the way in which he executes his diverse setlist. It’s not easy to pigeonhole his style into any one genre, and you’d be hard pressed to find someone to rival his ability to transition so naturally between the vast spectrum of his music catalogue.

The fact he can go from a melodic, grungy Reuben song like Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, to a chaotic onslaught like The Six Fingered Hand from Muscle Memory without it feeling anomalous, takes some doing. What is even more remarkable is how he went from sweeping the audience away with a pop-punky number like Blitzkrieg, to playing three acoustic folk songs from Muscle Memory before reverting back to heavier anthems.

The folk section of the night captivated the audience just as much as any other part did. It was amazing to witness the atmosphere at Scala turn from an electrical storm to a warm campfire-like setting. Lenman played Shotgun House, If You Have to Ask, You’ll Never Know, and It’s Hard to be a Gentleman and the crowd absolutely adored the change of pace. 

Lenman continued to prove what a charismatic frontman he is by continually interacting with his audience in between songs. He was full of his usual sharp wit, good humour and appreciation for his fans. There truly was a connection between Lenman and the crowd throughout the show, especially during songs like Mississippi where they joined him in singing the catchy ‘M-I double S-I-double S-I-PP-I’ parts. The new material is being well received and Jamie treats the crowd with another new song which hasn’t yet been released, All of England is a City.

Lenman at Scala. Photo by Chris Melbourne 

At the back of the stage Dan was equally as present throughout the show. His harmonies were excellent and he absolutely terrorised his drums on numbers like No News is Good News and All the Things You Hate About Me, I Hate Them Too. As usual Dan performed with incredible intensity and aggressive force that was exhausting to watch. Despite his hands being busted up with cut knuckles and bruises from playing just five shows so far, he didn't let up throughout the whole set and proved what a skilled drummer he really. When he crashed his drumsticks down for the very last time he got up and walked off stage like it was just business as usual for him. 

Photo credit: www.danthedrummer.com

As Jamie and Dan left the stage, the crowd showed their appreciation with loud cheers and applause. On the way out of the venue many conversations could be heard about how amazing the show was, and they were correct, for it really was a striking performance from the men in white. 

Photo credit: www.danthedrummer.com

After a day’s rest Jamie and Dan are back on the road to play a show in Milton Keynes, then Leeds, and finally the tour will conclude in Glasgow on the 6th May. 

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