21 January 2012 (gig)
23 January 2012
Amos Lee is the sort of unassuming musician that is so far removed from today’s X Factor (or American Idol) fixated generation, that it is both refreshing and nostalgic at the same time. As he quietly arrives on stage, you imagine him featuring in a Susan Boyle type sequence on ITV, with the expectation that this awkward looking fellow is about to make a complete fool of himself. But then he opens his mouth and sings. And what a soothingly gorgeous sound emerges.
Last year Amos Lee’s fourth solo album Mission Bell reached the top of the US charts, raising his profile significantly and in the UK he was rewarded with a support slot on Adele’s somewhat disrupted UK tour. This means that after a one-off acoustic set at Union Chapel in London twelve months ago, Lee is back within the year, playing the larger Shepherd’s Bush Empire, with his full band.
Again it is just a short trip to the UK, meaning one group has travelled from Manchester to catch the singer they describe as “an absolute star”. As it turns out, they are not a new set of fans, but have liked Lee for several years. They spend sometime trying to persuade the family in front of them to stay for his set, as they are here for the support act, The Punch Brothers. But they have young kids, and by the time Lee is on stage it is already passed their bedtime!
For those that do stay, there is no thought of leaving early, with Lee in top soulful form. Much of the set features material from Mission Bell; the likes of El Camino, Flower and Jesus are delivered with quiet sophistication from a top collection of musicians. But older material dominates, with Arms of A Woman and Soul Suckers plucked from his 2005 debut album, while the stunning Careless and its tale of broken hearts and broken friendships, is lifted from his best collection, Supply And Demand.
While coming across overly earnest at times, Lee does have a sense of fun too. Balanced against a lovely story about visiting a care home and persuading one stubborn resident to enjoy his music, is the Barry White moment. Backing singer Mutlu appearing on stage in a white suit and sharing his lyrical seductions about British women and muffins (yes very Sid James) while the band perform his nod to seventies soul, Won’t Let Me Go.
Mission Bell’s poppiest track, the splendid road song Windows Are Rolled Down, rounds up the main set in blistering style before the obligatory and unsurprising encore. And to underline that sense of fun, he finishes the evening with a rendition of Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls, to the bemusement of those less familiar with Freddie Mercury’s more comical moments. It is an impressive gig, making you wonder while this little American secret is not more widely appreciated here, while at the same time you feel that little bit special for being one of the few in the know.
