The 28-year-old performed the eponymous album in full – along with more than 20 other tracks – in front of a crowd of thousands of Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
It was a slow start to the two-hour, three-part show, with support artist – BBC Radio 6 Music’s DJ T-Bone – failing to ignite the audience, which spilled over into Jake’s first few songs.
The buzz of a distracted audience talking was audible as he began, unusually, with an acoustic performance of a trio of lesser-known songs.
Things stepped up when he was joined by his backing band for the next five songs, including the excellent There’s a Beast and We All Feed It.
After a short break, with an interview of the singer-songwriter played to the audience, he was back for what the crowd were waiting for – his double platinum-selling debut album in full.
Again, in a bid to mix it up, Jake decided to play it in reverse order, but it was an inspired decision.
From the fan-favorite album tracks, including Note to Self and Someone Told Me, the show built towards the hit singles Trouble Town and Broken.
Jake Bugg played Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena Nottingham in November. Picture: Kevin Westenberg.
By the time Jake reached the album’s first four tracks, to finish with Seen It All, Taste It and the anthemic Two Fingers – complete with audience raising two fingers to the ceiling – and Lightning Bolt, he had the arena bouncing and the audience in the palm of his hand.
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Sadly, another interlude disrupted the flow again, before he returned for a ‘greatest hits’ set.
Minus probably his greatest hits, from his debut album, songs from his other four studio albums got an airing, including Slumville Sunrise, Simple Pleasures, What Doesn’t Kill You and Messed Up Kids.A clearly grateful Jake repeatedly thanked the audience for their support and for coming out to see him, seemingly between every song, before the mammoth 35-track set ended with a huge singalong of All I Need.
Jake Bugg on stage at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
Jake Bugg on stage at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena.
It was a good gig and playing the album in reverse order was the correct decision, but rethinking the whole of the gig, to perhaps finish with the album in reverse order, could have made it a truly great one.