Jake Bugg at the Village Underground

It’s hard to believe that Jake Bugg is only 22 years old, with a mature sound that exudes an effortless ability to tell tales in true delta blues fashion. His voice is flawless and carries a distinctive tone that allows listeners to journey with him through the chapters of his life, communicated in good old-fashioned rhythm and blues.

Bugg walks on stage without glancing left or right and opens with On My One, an authentic representation of what modern blues sounds like. The vocals, enriched with echoing reverb, sound like those of an old soul, laying his innermost secrets bare. He subsequently moves on to Simple Pleasures, with its soaring chorus that carries real passion and depth in terms of lyrical content, but more in the vein of a Britpop track. He has the crowd dancing and singing along to almost every track, particularly Lightning Bolt, Seen It All and Messed Up Kids. The diversity of the set is testament to the fact that Bugg is far from one-dimensional in his creativity.

Meandering through blues and indie rock, the singer keeps the audience captivated and intrigued, throwing in the odd new work, such as mesmerising acoustic number The Love We’re Hoping For. He concludes with a couple of rockabilly jams, including Trouble Town, which again highlights his versatile song-writing skills and confidence in playing with the musical hands of time.

Save for few minor technical difficulties with the equipment, the performance itself is very well executed. The venue is filled to the brim with what appears to be an exceptionally dedicated fan base and Bugg holds himself with a grace that affirms it isn’t celebrity status he is after, but true recognition for his music and the opportunity to share all that inspires him. He is an enthralling artist with no boundaries of time.

Aneequa Sameen

For further information about Jake Bugg and future events visit here.

Watch the video for Seen It All here: