Jamie Woon in Bristol

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    Jun 22, 2011
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  • Jamie Woon cut an unassuming figure as he nonchalantly took his position at centre stage in Bristol recently, his face concealed behind a fringe cut straight from the new romantic period. As the crowd's notable excitement simmered down, he and his band, Blue Steel, began their set with the melodic "Echoes," the track's rhythmic quality provoking some general foot-tapping in the baking hot gym hall of the student's union. From the onset, the venue felt a little too cavernous for this new era soul singer, with his vocals tending to echo rather than linger, but despite this, the sound system managed to throw the bass out to the very back of the room. It was that same almost dread bass that accompanies so many of Woon's tracks on his recent Mirrorwriting album. Woon, however, appears more comfortable within a straightforward soul and R&B capacity, much like his fellow BRIT school alumni Amy Winehouse and Adele. Rather than shoehorning in oscillating bass patterns in between verses, Woon chooses to exploit modern production to give his music a pulsing, bass driven melody. It was therefore a relief to see live instruments, synths, and sampler and laptop on stage as, without such tools, much of the material would sound comparatively hollow. Photo credit: Gerry Kirby Throughout the performance Woon was at ease with the crowd, admitting that he had "big love for Bristol." The driving rhythm section definitely stirred large sections of the crowd, and Woon's tremulous voice was pitch-perfect throughout. Finally, hands were in the air and sultry musings were replaced by infectious dance music. After nine songs, though, he cast off the safety blanket of the band and went solo. Not quite acoustic (he still had his sampler), it was at this point that Woon really came into his own. His rendition of standout track "Spirits" that included him looping his vocals and beatboxing was a personal highlight. A stripped down, lo-fi rendition of 2007's "Wayfaring Stranger" ended the set with a reminder of why Woon first attracted so much attention. Woon's overall performance was confident and slick, but he didn't fully exploit his music's potential to really take hold of his audience. There were flashes of it at certain points but it never really sustained. It's clear he feels more comfortable within small intimate surroundings. As he gets bigger and bigger, though, he's going to find himself in large open spaces where he needs to bring out a harder edge to his music. As he set down his guitar and thanked the crowd for a final time he exited to chants of "Woony, Woony, Woony!"—completely out of step with the vibe he'd created, but a sign that Woon is fast becoming idolised by a growing army of fans. Whether he can establish himself as a seasoned live performer still remains to be seen.
RA