James - the concert

Not being one of James' biggest fans, I had my own expectations of what this band's concert would be like. I hd visions of my Mancunian glory days in the indie clubs, surrounded by clouds of smoke and Northern Brits with bangs made all the more beautiful through a haze of whatever was on special that night and an intense camaraderie heightened by copious amounts of alcohol mixed with loud music.

To my surprise, this was one of the un-hippest crowds I've seen. At just about every concert anyone's ever been to, especially every rock concert, there's always "that guy." The one rocking out harder than anyone there who is convinced that they are the band's biggest fan. He may be wearing the band's t-shirt (still a major concert faux pas - the only exception being the t-shirt of the current artist's former band, showing just how harcore and knowledgeable you really are). He is inevitably thrashing about in a manner that is borderline dangerous, mildly embarrassing to you, but ultimately so honest that you have to admit it's admirable and he is a fan, no matter how awkward you feel. That seems to be the makeup of James' core fanbase.

That being said, "that guy" is usually one of the happiest people at the concert. And that was most definitely the case that evening. I have never seen a crowd that is more appreciative of the artist they're seeing. Everyone had huge grins on their faces, people of all ages were out well past their bedtimes, and everyone was dancing, including my injured self, bouncing up and down enthusiastically in my chair. At the end of the concert, audience members were allowed to dance on-stage, and the earnest happiness in everyone's faces was so touching I might have cried had I not been too busy stupidly grinning.

Energy aside, James is a great band. As it turns out, they're the artist that sings those songs that I'd always heard but never knew who sung them. There's a familiarity to them, partially having to do with the fact that they have elements of the Smiths (emotional, warbly and Mancy), and partially because they have elements of U2 (happier, folkier songs with political tones) but mostly because they don't go off into uncharted waters sticking to melodic rock songs that are comfortable under the pop umbrella. And I love that about them. Much like with food, I think the simplest ingredients make for the best product, and James uses excellent song structure (complete with sing-along choruses), clever lyrics, and universal messages to create pop songs that are accessible to those seeking just that.

Check them out below:
www.myspace.com/jamesisnotaperson