If You Got The Money - Jamie T Concert 1st July

Well Jamie , I don’t and I didn’t have to pay for tickets. The troubadour from Wimbledon kicked off this year’s Itunes festival with a rousing set. The Itunes festival is unique as you don’t have to pay for tickets, just enter a facebook competition to stand a chance to attend a show.

Jamie T mixed in tracks from the new stick and stones EP with classics from his last album. This was my first time watching him perform and I have to say that I was impressed. With the plethora of live videos online I should have been prepared for his gig. I even spent my Saturday morning watching his set from Glastonbury this past weekend. I obviously wasn’t prepared enough as I stood near the back of the Camden roundhouse watching the swirling mass of teenagers at the front. His fans displayed the energy of a punk crowd, something that offset the fact that they were chanting the depressing subject matters in some of the songs.

The new stuff played well with the crowd but it was the classics that really got people going. Jamie T may never hit the top of the charts but he will be around for a long time. The combination of great songs, lyrics and a great live show (minus any theatrics) will outlive many of his flashy peers.

A little note to be added, if you didn’t win tickets for your favourite act during the festival you can stand in line to have a chance of getting standby tickets. There is a lot of great talent performing this month so don’t miss out because you didn’t win.

Track 6

Tonight I’m going to see, in my opinion, the best troubadour in the Uk (Who gives a shit about those Libertines losers? Or that dude from Razorlight? Or Richard Blackwood?) Jamie T is a musician that inspired me to move down to London and not be afraid of the big smoke. Along with the Rakes they didn’t paint the city as glorious or too seedy, just what it is. A dilapidated monster of city. Full of transplants and misfits thrown together with the mega rich and the mega poor, I don’t know anyone that isn’t one of the two.

The first track I ever heard was his cover of the Billy Bragg classic “A New England”. These lyrics are timeless.

“I was 21 years when I wrote this song, I’m 22 now but I won’t be for long.

People as when you will grow up to be a man when the girls I loved at school are already pushing prams.

And I loved you then as I loved you still, though I put you on a pedestal they put you on the pill.”

I may not be so keen on the new stuff but he is from the footage I have seen a great performer and I can’t wait. It also marks the start of the ridiculous amount of gigs I am going to this week.