6th November 2023
Listen
Listen
The lights went down, the music neared and the rippling of impatience grew stronger, until the silence was broken with the pulsating bass and beat of ‘Be Someone’. As the track builds intensity, we all grow more excited as we know the man himself is about to stand before us. When I look around, I see people of all ages—who all share a universal love for Jake Bugg. Fans manoeuvred into spaces that didn’t exist. Bugg made his way onto the stage as the climax of the song reached, triggering a crowd that could not be tamed.
Bugg offers a new sound to the music industry—his voice is unique and recognisable from the minute he opens his mouth. He is capable of silencing the crowd whilst they stare in awe and admiration at the sheer talent presented before them. One of my personal favourite’s ‘Slide’ caused emotions to run high as fans cried out the lyrics back to Bugg. There was a strong sense of community. Fan favourite ‘Broken’ is indescribable. I can’t imagine how overwhelming it must be for Jake Bugg to hear each and every fan carry each and every word.
Another highlight of the night was when fans showed their respect and love for Bugg. Fans could not suppress the need to chant for the whole duration of the gig. They replaced the lyrics ‘Baby Give it Up’ with their own rendition ‘‘Jakey Jakey Bugg’. Bugg clearly has respect for his fans as he politely requested to play some of his new songs. After hearing the first five seconds of his new song ‘Scene’, I fell in love. The lyrical depth and beautiful acoustics reverberated off the walls. The audience, including me, were eager to get their hands on the physical copies now.
The beautiful, soft guitar riffs in ‘Simple Pleasures’ played in the darkness and the slowly building drums began to sound. When intensity peaked, the lights flashed and a crazy guitar solo kicked in. I encourage anyone who has never seen Jake Bugg perform live to snatch the tickets when you can.
When Bugg stopped, the music didn’t. Mountford Hall became a dance floor and as one last thank you — we gifted the song ’Give it Up’ to Jake Bugg as a token of our appreciation.
