The Nigerian-born soul/R&B artist stunned
his hometown as he sails towards the last leg of his 13-date Europe tour.
By
Casey Baughan
It was a cold, windy night outside
Birmingham’s O2 Institute with queues trailing down the road full of glum
faces. Inside the venue was a different story, buzzing fans with drinks in
hand, awaiting the live music. The blue stage lights dimmed and the ‘Friendly
Neighbourhood Jacob Banks’, as he called himself, ran onto the stage wearing
his signature rolled-up beanie and own Jacob Banks merchandise to a cheering crowd.
SOLD OUT @MrJacobBanks 🥊🏆🚀 pic.twitter.com/IKWqHOA5tC— Brandon Silverstein (@BrandonSilv) March 28, 2018
Banks opened the show with an upbeat, funky
number from his latest 2015 release, Monster. Each song pumped the crowd with
Banks’ African inspired beats combined with his soulful, silky, smooth voice
that mesmerized the audience. During near enough all of the slow and emotional
songs, Unholy War, Something Beautiful and Unknown, something happened that is a rare witness during a show – fans actually hushed one another.
Above Banks’ smoky and growly voice, you could hear the desperations of
calling for silence in order to sway and take in the angelic presence.
An error with the laptop stopped the show
for a few minutes, which was no issue as Banks and his musical band turned the
concert into a comedy show. For such a reasonable priced gig, I didn’t expect
to hear a few knock knock jokes and actual comedy. “What do you call Batman
when he skips out on church? Christian Bale.”
The change of dark blue lights to pinks and
oranges created a romantic atmosphere, with couples waving their flashlights
through the air. This was balanced out by a little reggae and rock, with Diddy
Bop, transforming the mood with a tinge of gospel.
Watching @MrJacobBanks at the o2 institute was a pleasure tonight. Beautiful music and vocals #JacobBanks #IntotheWildTour pic.twitter.com/22grvrSY2n— Jade (@Jade_1882) March 27, 2018
All eyes were on Banks and his mother as she made a guest appearance. Growing up just ten minutes from the Institute, proved emotional as he sang Homecoming. We were treated to a debut of his new
song Pilot, tickling the fancy of many in the crowd. This can prove risky for an upcoming artist but it paid off for Banks, receiving plenty of cheers.
Much to our surprise, Banks was more than a vocal talent but a guitarist as well, his acoustic sounds were breathtaking. To keep the ballads alive he performed several covers of Say Something, Feels and Redbone.
Much to our surprise, Banks was more than a vocal talent but a guitarist as well, his acoustic sounds were breathtaking. To keep the ballads alive he performed several covers of Say Something, Feels and Redbone.
Although his voice isn’t exactly what you
would expect from his sporty appearance, the 26 year old's old school voice shocked us. Leaving us all wanting an encore from him, performing all night long.
5/5 stars.
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