James Blake at Village Underground review

Image: James Blake 

One thousand lucky James Blake fans witnessed the first UK outing of the London-born musician's new album The Colour In Anything, as well as some older, much-loved treats.

After tickets sold-out within just ten minutes, it was clear long before the show that it would be full of adoration and applause; with fans travelling across the country to catch a glimpse of the electronic architect's beautifully structured new material. 

As a venue, Village Underground is as intimate a space you'll find in London. With its wide concrete brick walls and arched windowed ceiling, there's a church-cum-warehouse feel to it: the perfect environment for an artist like James Blake, who teeters between club music and emotional, piano-driven ballads. 

Having only performed tracks from the new album live in LA and New York earlier this month, the thought of going to a gig on a Monday evening wasn't going to put any fans off. Not least us…

As we head into the venue - after getting lost, meeting the light technician and a girl who jokes "see you in the pit", and winding down numerous graffiti-walled Shoreditch alleyways - the audience is full and brimming come 9pm.

Lone plays the supporting role; dropping disco-infused house inside the arched building, it's the ideal dance-y prequel to get the crowd ready for Blake's later unexpected club-orientated moments. (Watch his new music video below)

See James Blake perform at Field Day

Nearly thirty minutes after he was billed to perform, blue strobes flood the stage as Blake sits at his piano. Greeting his attentive audience with a quintessentially British, "Hi, good evening, how are you doing?" before of a well-crafted 14-song set taking in half a dozen gems from his latest album as well as a handful of his older productions and some clubbier interjections, the Londoner's lateness is immediately forgiven as the swirling synths of 'Life Round Here' open the show.

Reverberating around the room in time to flashing purple strobes and a repeated punch-to-the-gut cry, he transitions effortlessly into 'Choose Me'; met with sunshine gold strobes which engulf the stage, drum pads, piano keys, thunder crashes and bird synths circling around Blake's faultless falsetto.

Onstage, he looks comfortable and relaxed, bantering with the crowd at frequent intervals. For someone who's worked with a pop superstar like Beyoncé - on her new album Lemonade - it's nice to see that he's still grounded and extremely humble. 

"I love you too, though I can't see you," he says, orchestrating the crowd playfully after advances call out from strangers in the darkness. 

"It's a little bit like playing at home in my living room," he continues, adding, "Thanks for being guinea pigs to this big test". If we are his guinea pigs, then there's nothing to fault about the performance. 

'Radio Silence' whirs like a helicopter preparing to take off, 'My Willing Heart' showcases his unmatched vocal, certifying that he really is in his own lane musically (Listen to the track below). Each track resonates and creates a sense of intimacy with his audience; it's impossible not to feel like your heartstrings are being pulled when Blake performs: The Colour in Anything, performed as a stripped-back emotional piano ballad, is a poignant example.

'Timeless', later, is perfect. From the enticing vocal build-up to the piercing, repeated synth - it's a real highlight. '200 Press', released on his 1-800 Dinosaur imprint, picks up the pace to a club environment soon after. Though largely unexpected coming in, it makes for one of the best, looser moments as the bright lights and steady beat kick in.

As Blake's voice echoes around the room throughout 'Voyeur', the cowbell makes an appearance - courtesy of consistently on-point drummer Ben Acuter - igniting the first audience handclap of the night whilst strobes penetrate once again.

Bringing everything back to a silence before continuing, Blake demonstrates a well-timed sense of audience control before continuing with ‘Always', a piano-led favourite from the new album.

Vocal samples swirl, thunder crashes and silence falls at the end to huge cheers, paving the way for an unexpected rendition of 'The Wilhelm Scream' (listen below) featuring synth pads which fall like water droplets as a guy at the back really goes for it singing his heart out. 

Taking a moment to pause, Blake sips from his bottle of water but the applause doesn't stop.

"Three cheers for my dad," he enthuses, telling us that his father, James Litherland, wrote the song. Also thanking his drummer Ben Aceter and guitarist Rob McAndrew, saying that "this show wouldn't be possible without these guys", it’s another reflection of Blake’s down to earth personality.   

Before a beautiful encore of 'Modern Soul' waves the audience goodbye, 'Retrograde' is given an up-to-date outing, sounding as fresh as its release date in 2013.

As a precursor to his headline show at Field Day festival, as well as a performance at Glastonbury, there's no doubt that James Blake is capable of controlling a field of thousands with ease. Confidence increased and live show perfected, James Blake’s return to the stage documents an artist in his prime.

James Blake plays at Field Day taking place at Victoria Park, London on Saturday 11th June to Sunday 12 June - buy Field Day tickets.

Read our review of James Blake 'The Colour In Anything'