Lemar at the Jazz Cafe
- Posted on December 11, 2006 4:30 PM
- 1 comment
Reality TV - you've got to love it... or not. Most 'Fame Academy' contestants come, sing a few wobbly tunes and then drift off into obscurity. One soulful diamond in the musical rough though is Lemar. After competing in the 2002 television series he came out with a strong fan base and invitation to sing live with Beverley Knight. Not bad for third place... tickets are on sale now for his 2007 tour. To stir some memories, gig lover Peter Coulston takes us back to the last time he saw the man in action...
This balmy Thursday night I find myself in the bustling borough of Camden to enjoy the preview of Lemar's new album, a week-long event taking place at the celebrated Jazz Cafe. I chose to drive there primarily because it is impossible for me to get home on public transport after 11pm. In addition, the entrance to Camden Town tube is almost impossible to navigate after dark without falling over the drunks who have taken up residence there. It's now so bad that Threshers has applied to open a branch in there and the Council has already given the nod to a late licence. I guess it keeps them off the streets. Aside from that, Camden is one of London's more exciting locations and it is always a pleasure to be there, regardless of your state of sobriety. And I'll drink to that.
The Jazz Cafe is the sort of venue I like. It is a music venue with a bar. Apart from a few tables quite away from the stage, the rest of the downstairs is standing room only, right where the action is , and still close to the large (and reasonably priced) bar. There is also a balcony a with some seats, offering a very good view of the stage; but the real action is on the floor with the punters. My only complaint was the toilets; sort it out guys, the gents is a tip and does not even have a mirror! And in the Jazz Cafe, everyone has to look good. The audience were a great bunch who showcased the multicultural mix of this city and how well we do it. Anyone that can pull a following this broad has to be doing something right and Lemar had earned my respect well before he hit the stage.
The formal proceedings eventually got underway with a very competent opening act in the form of Nikola Rachelle, who performed a nice set of classy, well crafted songs with her guitarist/pianist, percussionist and backing singer. Talented singer, shame about the audience, who could have shown a little more respect and not made her work so hard. At least they gave her plenty of applause after each song, even if they weren't listening. I trawl the clubs of this city relentlessly, yet I have never had the pleasure of listening to this young lady before; which just goes to show how much talent there is out there. I look forward to seeing her again in a more intimate environment, musically that is.
Some time after nine, the band began to assemble and the audience started to remember why they were there. Hailing from Tottenham, Lemar is pretty much a home town boy here (lets face it, nobody actually comes from Camden), and London is as proud of its own as any other city. As promised, the line up was stripped back but did include a five piece string section and three spot on backing singers. Lemar made a grand entrance in a snazzy suit complete with tie and cufflinks, and blew the audience away with "My Boo" and "50/50. I was instantly impressed by his confident rapport with the audience, which he maintained throughout the evening, without ever appearing arrogant or patronizing. He genuinely loved his audience and they loved him back. These shows were staged to showcase of his new album, The Truth About Love, so nobody was surprised when he selected his next two numbers from there. By his own admission, this album is influenced by the likes of Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye and it shows in "Someone Should Tell You" and "Be Faithfuls", a couple of crackers. "If There's Any Justice" had to be done so why not next, and why not, it's a great song. I must say, at this stage, what a superb singer this guy is; with his range and faultless control he doesn't even need songs this good but there you go, some guys get all the breaks.
Back to the new songs with" Tick Tock", another little gem owing more than a nod to Sam Cooke, again acknowledged willingly by our star. "So Amazing" actually was and "When a Heart is Broken" is another fine example of his new material. For "Caroline", Lemar sat down at the piano without the rest of his band, and I personally loved this one to bits. Very different style again, but spot on. They closed the evening with the Lionel Richie style "Dance With You" and the audience were doing just that by this time. Everyone on stage that had free hands was operating some form of percussion, but I don't think the percussionist felt at any time that his job was in jeopardy. The obligatory encore was a very soulful and excellent "It's Not That Easy", which is also his new single. Needless to say, the audience went home very satisfied indeed. And so they should.
Just after 11pm I wandered out into the Camden night where everything was buzzing like a bee. With the exception of one brave drunk who had found his way out of the Underground, manouvered the intersection, and settled for the night outside the bank across the street, everyone had, like myself, resigned themselves to a late night. All the bars and restaurants on Inverness Street showed no sign of closing and presented the backdrop to a highly enjoyable evening that had sadly come to an end. Here's to the next one.
by Peter Coulston
NOTE: We've had word that the 'loo' situation has improved dramatically. We'll be featuring The Jazz Cafe as 'venue of the week' soon so will report back with all the boggy bloggy details.
Comments (1)
janet graham
yes went to the jazz cafe to see lemar.. was such a great evening... have seen him 6 times since then.. he is superb.. loved jazz cafe as small and intimate.. mm hope he appears here again....
janet
Posted on August 7, 2007 12:52 AM
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