Jamie T has always been an enigma in the Indie music scene – his 2007 debut album Panic Prevention catapulting the Wimbledon born singer-songwriter into stardom. Yet, even at the height of his powers, he hasn’t been the most prolific with his album output. Long gaps between album releases has almost given Jamie T this cult-like hero status, fans eager to know when he’ll next re-emerge to deliver more boisterous tunes.
His latest offering The Theory of Whatever released in July of this year comes six years after its predecessor Trick. The question on everyone’s mind this Tuesday night gig at Sheffield Academy was therefore- can Jamie T still excite and energise crowds fifteen years on from his explosive entry into the music scene? The short answer is, yes he can.
Before the South London performer kicked off his near 90-minute set, the support act in the form of 86TV’s packed a punch. Consisting of two ex-Maccabees members in brothers Felix and Hugo White alongside a drummer and lead vocalist, the brothers close friends to Jamie, their lively presence on the stage warmed up a packed Sheffield Academy crowd who were already anticipating the main event. 86TV’s lack of a social media presence, the band yet to have an official Spotify page, hindered them somewhat but their energy and enthusiasm won over the Sheffield audience – Hugo and Felix White smiling throughout after years out from the music industry.
Jamie T entered onto the stage just after 9pm, eager fans contained like sardines waiting for their first glimpse of the enigmatic South Londoner. The set performed by Jamie T on the night harkened back to his hay-day in 2007, opening with a stripped back rendition of ‘Brand New Guitar’ which opens Panic Prevention before the rest of the band entered the fray to play ‘Operation’ and fan favourite ‘So Lonely Was The Ballad.’
Although nostalgia would have played a big factor in many purchasing tickets to see Jamie T on this cold November evening, songs from his 2022 release The Theory of Whatever surprisingly went down a treat. Album opener ‘90’s Cars’ generated a brief singalong after a hat-trick of classics, the main single from that same release ‘The Old Style Raiders’ felt euphoric as the crowd got into their groove.
The main word to describe this gig would be ‘lively’ – whenever the opportunity for a mosh-pit presented itself one happened, the crowd consisting of old die-hard Jamie T fans and younger fans letting their presence be known. ‘Rabbit Hole’, off of Jamie T’s 2014 album Carry on the Grudge, saw the first mosh-pit of the night emerge, multiple pints thrown in the air as Jamie and co ticked off anthem after anthem in quick succession. There was no messing around from the frontman, and with a shining back catalogue at your disposal, you can’t blame Jamie T for rallying through songs to keep the energy of the crowd up.
The final four songs of the set saw the entire standing section bouncing, Jamie T leaving his four biggest tracks for a rowdy finale. The sweaty Sheffield masses sang at the top of their lungs as the normal set concluded with ‘If You Got The Money’ – everyone in the vicinity reciting the lyrics with unwavering precision and passion.
To start his encore, the Wimbledon born singer jokingly opened with ‘here’s a B-Side for you’. Of course, the sarcasm was obvious the second he began to sing ‘Sheila goes out with her mate Stella’. Funnily enough, those were the only audible lyrics from the enigmatic frontman – the crowd took over vocal duties after that, a deafening reception to the Indie classic. A young fan on shoulders even got a quick acknowledgement from Jamie himself, a real togetherness on the night with Jamie clearly enjoying himself after years away from the exhausting tour routine. ‘Sticks N Stones’ and ‘Zombie’ rounded off a fantastic night at the Academy, Hugo White even joining on guitar with the crowd still in the palm of Mr T’s hands.
As the 2000 or so fans all filtered out when the lights came on, the cold night-time breeze of Sheffield city centre was a welcome relief – most of the gig-goers exiting drenched with sweat. Jamie T, even after another notable departure from the spotlight, continues to perform to the peak of his powers – a near sell-out at every single date on his UK tour, The Theory of Whatever earning the secretive singer-songwriter a number one spot in the album charts. Based on these facts alone, and the fantastic gig he put on for his adoring fans in Sheffield this Tuesday night just gone, he will always be welcomed back into the mainstream with open arms even if he disappears every now and then without a trace.
