Ten years on from Jake Bugg's award-winning debut album, he is back in his hometown. Despite a decade passing, not much has changed - Jake is still the down to earth performer he always was.
Taking to the intimate venue of Meadow Lane Sports Bar for a warm-up show, he is just slightly more confident with the limelight. Wearing his signature outfit of all black and Nike trainers, he fronts the small stage with the backing of his band.
Jake has barely aged, looking remarkably similar to his 18-year-old self. It is like no time has passed at all. The crowd of 350 is silent in anticipation, we are all ready to welcome back our hometown hero.
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As Jake strums the first cords of the heartfelt 'Southern Rain', goosebumps tingle down my spine. His voice fills the room and captivates the crowd.
I know I said not much has changed, but one thing for certain has. Jake's voice has always been unique and oozed of eras long before his own. Yet as he has grown, his voice is maturing into something even better.
His trademark sound, which was once called 'nasal and whiny', is far from that. The acoustic 'Me and You' and 'Pine Trees' demonstrated the power his voice can hold.
The lyrics are reflective and hold deeper meanings than what is heard on the surface. To say they were from his second album, released when Jake was just 19, is astounding and shows his raw charm.
As the set progressed, so did the tempo. Crowd movers including 'There’s A Beast and We All Feed It', 'Troubled Town' and 'Seen It All' show Jake's range.
After taking on a request from the crowd of 'Saffron', Jake rattled through his hits 'Two Fingers' and 'Lightning Bolt'. There is something poignant about hearing these songs sung live in Nottingham.
They are of a time gone by in Jake's life, of him growing up in Clifton. What is clear in his lyrics is a love-hate relationship with the places that formed his early years.
To be stood in Meadow Lane, a place that clearly means so much to him as he even sponsored Notts County, heightens the contrast. Even more so as Jake performs 'Slumville Sunrise', a fast-paced song filled with urgency which includes the lyrics 'This place is just not for me, I said a thousand times'.
Throughout the set, Jake keeps the chitchat to a moderate level. He thanks the crowd, joins in the chants of 'you pies' and wishes to see us join him on Saturday at his arena show.
His newer songs, whilst less acoustic and more synth and pop-focused, blend well with the older songs. A far cry from his indie folk sound, 'Lost' still features similar lyrical styles to his early hits.
Jake seems to be able to express his feelings in a gritty way through his songs, no matter the genre his is aiming for. The intimate set ends on one of his latest hits 'All I Need'.
The crowd knows every lyric and sings it back to him. Jake's adaptability with different sounds shows how fearless he is. He is originally himself and pushes to keep experimenting.
With the success of his self-titled debut album, it would have been easy for him to stick to what he knows works. Those songs are timeless and still resonate as much as they did ten years ago.
His show at Motorpoint Arena on Saturday, Novmber 26, is sure to go down well with new and old fans alike. If this was just the warm up, the crowd is certainly in for a treat. I for one am looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years will bring for Jake.
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