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| Chatting with Joe Brooks in London |
On the 21st of September singer/song-writer Joe Brooks
returned to London for a highly anticipated show after touring countries such
as South Korea and America for a long time. The O2 Academy in Islington is a
great venue with an 800 person capacity and a high ceiling that produces
excellent acoustics for a considerably intimate gig. I arrived a little late to
the venue but caught the second half of Tyrone Wells' set. Tyrone comes from
Washington and although I had not specifically followed his music before I did
recognise a few songs as he has been frequently featured in television shows
such as Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries. It was clear
that he has had a lot of experience in front of an audience because he had the
ability to captivate everyone not only with his charming music, but also his
story-telling in between songs. Personally, I think the highlight of his set
was when he asked the audience to remain silent whilst he sang without the
microphone. The created an amazing atmosphere and the whole crowd fell silent
(with exception to an incredibly rude guy who shouted in the middle but then received
death glares) as they listened to Tyrone's impressive vocals. I always love how
concerts can bring a crowd of 800 people of different ages, genders and
backgrounds together to share a love for music and in that moment, it feels
like everyone is equal.
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| Hugging Joe Brooks after his set |
As Tyrone departed the stage, I was left exhilarated and
ready to get caught up all over again in the music. The stage was decorated
with bulbs hanging from the ceiling and an antique rug on the floor which was
fitting for the British, home-coming theme. Joe took to the stage and opened
with his new song 'Till My Heart Stops Beating'. He played the acoustic guitar
and was accompanied by drums and the keyboard. I had a good view of the whole
stage and thoroughly enjoyed singing along and dancing, beaming every time I
hear an introduction to my favourite Joe Brooks songs. Along with his well-known
tracks such as 'Green Eyes', 'Kaleidoscope' and 'I Find the Light in You', Joe
did some covers including 'Cough Syrup' by Young The Giant, 'Come Together' by
The Beatles and a Jessie J medley. The passion and soul throughout the whole
show was overwhelming and it has been a very long time since I have seen an
artist get so lost in his love for music and performing. The emotion in the way
Joe sang and played his music was echoed by the audience even in songs that
many had not heard before such as 'Carousel' and 'Oh Toronto' which are from
his upcoming record 'The Boy with the Broken Machine'. When Joe performed
'Holes Inside' (which he proudly told us went to Number One in South Korea) and
everybody joined to sing the line "sometimes fate and your dreams will
collide" it was clear by his expression that he loved being home in the UK
very much and was as happy to see us as we were to see him. After the show, I
was fortunate enough to meet the talent that I had just seen on stage only to
find out that Joe is an extremely nice guy to talk to as well. His Southampton
accent had elements of American creeping in which I guess is expected seeing as
he lives in Los Angeles now and he spends a lot of time with his American band.
I had a fantastic, unforgettable night and if you ever get the chance to hear
this boy's vocals live you must not pass the opportunity.
If you follow me on twitter ( @heyitselliejay ) you were
probably expecting an interview with previous Artist Of The Week Tom Mann, but unfortunately
he could not make it down to the show however, never fear, I have been promised
a written interview in the not too distance future so keep checking back!
