James review – special band still filling arenas with anthems of warmth and humanity

. UK edition

Tim Booth of James at First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds.
Guru-like … Tim Booth of James at First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds. Photograph: Ehud Lazin

A talismanic Tim Booth is the pied-piper through a set that covers the five decades of this unique band’s beloved back catalogue alongside some fresh bangers

‘I think our audience has got to an age where they don’t want me to dive in,” chuckles Tim Booth, deciding against leaping into the front rows. This isn’t always true – their colossal fanbase visibly includes younger fans – but the singer acknowledges the hordes that have remained throughout their remarkable five-decade journey from Smiths’ support band to Madchester-era chart colossus to today’s nine-piece incarnation, who celebrated their first UK No 1 album with 2024’s Yummy, 42 years into their career.

James, formed in Manchester and initially signed to Factory Records, never followed obvious paths to success. Booth accurately describes them as “this crazy, idiosyncratic band who improvise, change the set list every night and play new songs which don’t have finished lyrics”. Here, that refers to the oddly titled, eight-minute Nantucket, named after the Massachusetts island. With its wordless chorus, electro/violin-driven groove and verses about being “here to inspire” it already sounds like another James banger.

Unlike most arena bands of their vintage they don’t just stuff the two-hour, 21-song set with greatest hits. There are long moody sections, songs from lesser-loved albums, influences from Brian Eno to Italian house and lyrical potshots at billionaires and religion, the connection being that everything is anthemic and exudes warmth and humanity. Opener Come Home subtly acknowledges Booth’s home town, Leeds, trumpeter Andy Diagram sports a “No more war” T-shirt and Booth sings clasping the hand of someone in the audience.

Driven by powerhouse drummer David Baynton-Power and with latest additions to the lineup Chloe Alper and Debbie Knox-Hewson bringing different textures, the guru-like 66-year-old singer is the band’s talismanic pied piper. He suddenly emerges on the balcony for Born of Frustration and a sublime Say Something, a magical, communal moment. Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) and Sit Down trigger arena-sized sing-songs and when Booth contradicts what he said earlier and dives headlong from the stage, he is carried aloft over a sea of hands. What a unique, brilliant, special band they are.

• At P&J Live, Aberdeen, 7 April. Then touring.