On
Wednesday 7th March, Melbourne-born Vance Joy performed at the O2
Brixton Academy, and with his last gig in the UK over three years ago, there
was no chance I was going to miss it.
Vance
Joy (James Gabriel Keogh) first became – literally – music to our ears in 2013,
with his boy-next-door, indie-folk single, Riptide,
featuring in his first EP God Loves You
When You’re Dancing. I remember frantically tapping the lyrics onto my
phone when I first heard Riptide hum
through our car radio, in preparation to race through the front door and Google
who wrote my instantly new favourite song (as, conveniently, the radio
presenter did not announce it – as usual). Ever since, Vance Joy has been one
of my most go-to and well-listened artists: his 2014 album Dream Your Life Away has accompanied us on numerous long trips down
to Devon and up to Cheshire, harmonising to Joy’s relaxed indie-folk/pop tunes.
So,
when a European tour was announced, I had pounced on tickets before they had
even been released five minutes…
With
vocalised guitar-strums and charming lyrics swirling the March air outside the
O2 Brixton, I gallivanted into the theatrical venue, nabbing seats right in the
middle of the top Circle, peering down onto the stage. Soon, the nostalgic
filler-tunes quit and on the blue-lit stage strolled Joy’s support artist: Lily
Moore, accompanied with her keyboard/guitar player. Her opening song Don’t Lie To Me instantly exhibited a
beautiful amalgamation of Paloma Faith, Duffy and Amy Winehouse all into one
voice. Moore’s only released song on Spotify, Not That Special, highlights the nineteen-year-old, from Brighton,
as sassy, soulful and able to use her style for melancholic as well as upbeat
tunes. After supporting Vance, Moore will be back on May 1st
performing at the Slaughtered Lamb, and I am sure I will be there in the crowd,
swaying along.
After
a while, the lights suddenly dimmed and deepened; guitar riffs grew and grew
under the heavy cyan spotlights, and then Vance Joy ran onto the stage attended
by thunderous cheering from the crowd. He began straight away with Fire and Flood, a catchy, foot-stomping
song, concluding his Dream Your Life Away
album. Even seated, most of the sea of the Circle swayed and clapped,
shouting the chorus lyrics in delight. The beat then mellowed to make way for From Afar, a song fit for reflecting in
fantasied rejection from someone your can only love from afar – or wallowing
wistfully over past events. This was to be Joy’s debut single entering into
2013, and has been a favourite of mine for many years.
It
was then time for new songs, freshly released on February 23rd this
year, from Joy’s new album Nation of Two.
The album still encapsulates the indie vibes of Dream Your Life Away, but more intensely: it contains the sort of
songs you could sing with friends at parties, throwing your hands up in ecstasy,
whether in or out of relationships.
One
of the most precious parts of concerts are the secret insights you are let in on
about songs: Vance Joy’s Call If You Need
Me is segmented in miscellaneous notebooks; an imagined life of a couple,
with intimate details like discussions held while one is in the shower (because
they take so long, as Vance admitted he does too). This was told while Joy
played solo, allowing the power of his usually mellow voice to come through.
However, when the band did take their places back on the stage, another great
thing about gigs was displayed: covers! We were treated to a mash-up rendition
of Lionel Richie’s All Night Long and
Sorry by Justin Bieber (who could
imagine I would have ever liked that song, until it was played by Vance and his
band).
Before
we knew it, the band and Joy had waved their thanks and went off stage. This
caused an instant, raucous encore to be chanted, which was answered when Joy
raced back on and sung his two most popular songs from each respective album: Lay It On Me, which was released prior
to Nation of Two midway through 2017,
had the whole crowd harmonising; and then Riptide
was played. Even with posters affronted with capital-letter warnings about
standing in the seated Circle, everyone was up, fictional ukuleles in hand,
feet stomping to each strum, people turning to each other and smiling as they
recited the words. Vance Joy’s audience, once just people, were now one wolf
pack, howling along to the backing singers and celebrating an amazing night
they were in the midst of. The atmosphere was that of a festival: dancing like
there was no tomorrow and whooping to the top of our lungs. It was one of the
best concerts I have ever been to.
A
couple of weeks ago, Vance Joy’s Nation
of Two tour tickets went on sale, and I bought some instantly, which I gave
as a present for Mother’s Day (I hope I can have the spare ticket mum!) It may
be in November, but I already cannot wait to be in the wolf pack once more.
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