Jake Bugg at the Lexington

The intimate setting of the Lexington all but ensured the evening’s patrons would be a distillation of Jake Bugg super fans. Excitable mutterings and bated breath pervaded the tight setting as Fitzroy Holt opened the proceedings.

Holt, who sauntered on stage armed only with an acoustic guitar, was mesmerising. His unique brand of raspy folk-blues meets indie psych-rock achieved the difficult feat of transfixing this swathe of Jake Bugg expectants. The support singer’s voice was the main standout of his set, with such dynamic range – from sweet and delicate to raspy and explosive – his acoustic stylings held glimmers of Ray Lamontagne and memories of Howlin’ Wolf.  

Finally, the unassuming Jake Bugg appeared. Without fuss, and a stern sense of assuredness, he commenced with 2017’s Southern Rain. His voice was sugary from the outset, gentle, albeit still possessing that characteristic Dylan-esque twang. The crowd lit up, echoes of “Jakey Jakey Bugg” to the tune of KC & the Sunshine Band filtering through. 

Bugg proceeded with the similarly soothing, folky Me & You and Simple as This before launching into a rampaging rendition of There’s a Beast and We All Feed It. This is where the set really came alive, like Subterranean Homesick Blues on steroids and spun out of the East Midlands.

Old favourites such as Two Fingers, Lightning Bolt and Seen It All featured and were standouts garnering a jubilant, singalong energy. The latter in particular marked a turning point in the evening. Coming around a third of the way through Bugg’s set, Seen It All awoke a riotous nostalgia, it’s telling of youthful escapades, euphoric melodies and driving beats evidently hitting just as hard as ever. 

From this point on Bugg and his band delivered banger after banger. With jump-on-your-mate’s-shoulders choruses, he felt like a country Oasis. The punchy, lesser known Lonely Hours was another standout. After what felt like a million refrains and ear-melting solos it seemed there was even more in the tank.       

It must be said, however, that the singer-songwriter’s on-stage persona did border on the uninteresting. His quips between numbers seemed to come straight out of the nice-guy rock’n’roller textbook. That said, he and his band are clearly a bunch of seasoned pros, with every song exhibiting a deft capability. Let this not suggest, however, a scene of cold mechanics: though reserved and steely eyed, Bugg’s performance was sincerely emotional. It is clear he is just more the stand-and-deliver type… and, of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. 

Vocally coarse yet oh so delicate, it was indeed a privilege to witness such an esteemed artist in The Lexington’s intimate setting. 

Thomas Bastick
Photos: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events visit Jake Bugg’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Lightning Bolt here: