ShareJames Bay performing his Leap Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Sunday 27th November 2022.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
It was another busy night at Rock City on Sunday when James Bay tested some new songs alongside his old classics and fans favourites which all seamlessly blended together to provide a great evening of entertainment for this sold out crowd.
Having used the lockdown to perfect his latest studio album, Leap, it took very little effort for Bay to inflame this crowd and when he stepped onto the stage wearing his trademark hat, accompanied by his four piece band for opener Best Fake Smile, the crowd roared into the first sing along of the night.
New songs Endless Summer Nights and his latest single, the powerful hymn, Give Me A Reason quickly followed and got an equally passionate response. Delivering a set list that moved easily between anthems and ballads, Bay guided the crowd through the highs before bringing them down to the delicately tender moments.
At some points he had his acoustic guitar in hand and other times he was rocking out on his electric guitar like a true rock star, but for his whole set his calm demeanour made the show feel so natural and comfortable.
If You Ever Want To Be In Love was a particular early highlight before the crowd were taken back to 2014 for the particularly tender Let It Go. Us fitted in with the acoustic style that Bay is known for but When We Were On Fire was undoubtedly the high point of the set as he returned to a rockier vein with its heavier intro and an electrifying guitar solo.
An exhilarating finale of Scars and Hold Back The River closed the show which was as clever an ending as was the opening, because of that nifty of all closing tricks, it left the crowd wanting more.