Performing on the main stage at Reading and Leeds festival is no mean feat for any artist, much less for one at the tender age of twenty but Jake Bugg managed it with more than a little touch of his trademark stoic nonchalance.
In the unenviable position of the last act before the evenings feverishly popular headliners Arctic Monkeys, Bugg churned out a solid, impressive set littered with tunes from both albums including debut singles Two Fingers and Lightning Bolt. If he felt any inkling of pressure preceding such blatant crowd favourites, Bugg didn’t betray a flicker of this in his mounting stage presence.
Highlights of the show were melancholy melodied heartbreaker hit Broken, in which the crowd created a chant of “smile, smile, smile” to the solemn faced star, who sheepishly interrupted his song in response with an endearingly flustered chuckle.
Strongest in the acoustic tracks such Seen it all, Me and You and Trouble Town, Bugg manages to make you feel like you’re sitting in front of a stage in a Texan bar with a warming tumbler of whiskey laced between your fingers. His country twang and soaring notes are in direct contrast to his rumbling northern speaking voice, making it all the more invaluable when he opens his mouth to sing.
Vocally Bugg is strong, adhering few bum notes and presenting no negative differences to listening to one of his records, an accolade that’s few and far between in most musicians these days. Admittedly he needs to work on his between song patter and more interaction with his audience, but this will surely come with age and progression as a musician.
For a musician who has self proclaimed a dislike for playing festivals, Bugg certainly appears at home on the main stage and possesses the instinctive ability to work a crowd through his music alone without having to verbally encourage his audience to “put their hands together” or “make some noise” for his songs.
Council estate anthems Messed up Kids and Slumville Sunrise were particularly well received, a refreshing dose of reality amongst the hedonistic rock n roll lifestyle that seems so flagrant among previous acts on the stage Bugg occupied.
The hair raising, ethereal notes and stomping chorus beat of Simple Pleasures as the sun had set into atmospheric dark was also a personal favourite moment.
After an impressive hour long sunset slot, Bugg more than proved himself to be headliner worthy in a few years time. The horizon is clearly golden for Jake Bugg, who has managed to remain both humble and honest on his whirlwind journey from playing the festival republic stage in 2012 before his first album had even been released, to performing on the main stage just two years later with two phenomenally successful albums under his belt…
boundforsound 