After James Bay won the Brits critics’ choice award in 2015, people spent as much time talking about his hair and fedora as they did his music. As he took to the stage last night, the singer was almost unrecognisable — his hair was short and the hat was nowhere to be seen.
Bay is attempting a reinvention in music as well as fashion. Last night he also made a concerted effort to engage more with the audience — something he struggled with while touring his debut album, Chaos And The Calm.
This short set showcased music from his latest record, Electric Light, as well as his hits. As openers Wasted On Each Other and Pink Lemonade illustrated, he has opted for a guitar-heavy approach, similar to Harry Styles’s solo outing.
He appeared more comfortable with this style, but it veered between the Americana balladry characteristic of his debut and an Eighties guitar-rock parody.
The juxtaposition often lost the audience, with many chatting loudly during songs. Older tracks, such as Hold Back The River and Let It Go, fared better, as did infectious new song Just For Tonight which was delivered with energy, passion and belief.
The set needed more songs like this as Bay again struggled to assert a distinctive musical identity.
