James McVey is a part of the hugely successful band The Vamps but has since embarked on a solo venture. (No, The Vamps are not breaking up!) He has also recently supported Henry Moodie on his tour. But this was his time to shine! Kicking off his nine-date solo tour was the date at the intimate Lafayette venue in London.
I was lucky enough to attend the show, and it was immaculate. James’ songs are majorly all acoustic, and the stage setup was perfect for an up-close and personal acoustic set. A touch that I personally liked was that James also had a cello player beside him on stage, a really unique element that tied the set together perfectly. He took the time to introduce his three-person band; consisting of his best friend playing the guitar for him, a wonderful pianist and of course the fantastic cellist. I found myself mesmerised throughout the show by James and his brilliant band. You can watch one of my videos down below.
James sang about twelve songs during the concert, each telling a personal story. You could see how much each of the songs meant to him and the crowd too. The audience were on top form and were singing along to every word. The love and appreciation James has for his fans also shone through, he was joking with them and telling them personal stories about each song. He even mentioned an EP coming soon, maybe next month, which is super exciting considering how successful his debut EP ‘Manabi’ was.
It was so special to see James’ strong bond with his fans, many of whom have been supporting him and The Vamps for over a decade. He even sang two The Vamps songs which his fans absolutely loved, me included!
My personal favourite stand-out songs of the gig were ‘Dancing on the Head of a Needle’ and an unreleased one named ‘Thick and Thin’, James dedicated this to his childhood friends which was such a sweet touch. Fingers crossed ‘Thick and Thin’ gets released soon!
James’ first UK tour has now drawn to a close but keep a close eye on his website for any future events because it was an absolute 10/10 show!