JESSARAE | LIVE REVIEW
The Globe, Cardiff, Wed 22 Feb
A cold and wet evening welcomed young London-based Canadian Jessarae to The Globe in Cardiff, but a small horde of teenage girls still queued up outside the venue over an hour before doors. As the small building greeted attendees over the threshold however, it was clear that the headline act was receiving more attention from the early teens/tweens bracket, with the odd parent in attendance for chaperoning duties.
Talis Eros was the first artist to take to the stage and although the young south Wales singer appeared with apparent nerves kicking in, his voice held enough potential to raise eyebrows. Backtracked covers of Jason Derulo and James Bay’s Let It Go were met with loud whoops and rounds of applause.
Currently unsigned Bridgend-based quartet Fire Fences were received with positive critiquing in the form of shrieks from the audience. Aaron Nicholas’s indie-coated vocals kept heads bobbing up and down as strong guitar, bass and drum work from fellow members Dylan, James and Will had phones raised to record their performance.
The growing excitement was palpable, much of the room fidgeting and watching the stage corners for the arrival of the headliner. Eventually a three-piece band walked out to the Blue Swede classic Hooked On A Feeling as Jessarae marched down from the balcony area and leapt onto stage, acoustic guitar in one hand and brushing back blonde locks of hair with the other. Ear-deafening cries gave way to incredibly catchy opener Stand In The Rain; Jessarae is no stranger to arena shows, having established himself supporting 5 Seconds Of Summer, and makes this gig experience even more intimate. He seems like an artist set in motion for great things.
Jessarae’s set included previously successful material such as Milk & Honey and Nobody’s Human as well as work from his soon-to-be-released EP London Loft Sessions – which seemed just as popular. He gained a strong relationship with his fans from the offset, continuously thanking them for supporting him and his music (met, again, with screams) before concluding the set with Monday Girl. It should be remembered, however, that his backing band warranted just as much congratulation, with strong harmonies and professional demeanours that would have undoubtedly dampened the show without their presence.
words and photos NATHAN ROACH