James Blake @ The Borderline, 04/02/2011

Hype giveth and hype taketh away, so fart it has been all giving for James Blake, from the top end of the BBC Sound of 2011 even before the release of his self titled debut his few singles and EPs have created a buzz and tonight is the night many have come to see if it is worth it.

As part of HMV’s Next Big Thing bunch of gigs, James Blake headlines a bill introduced by Xfm’s John Kennedy also featuring  Cloud Boats and Catherine Okada. Cloud Boats play synths and samplers, sitting on chairs, closing their eyes to hit high notes to sing, its quite nice and fits in with Blake’s own minimalist sound. Catherine Okada is nice, folky with a back up band including a violinist. I don’t know why I’ve singled him out, except I remember thinking it must be hard to really lose it and rock out playing a violin, not that it cant be rock n roll…. You know what I mean.

Oooh the main event, James Blake, who spent a large part of the night standing at the back of the room, most people too dumb or too cool to approach him eventually takes his place on stage. He has back up in the form of a drummer and fellow keyboardist and plays a short set of just 6 songs. They are long, in some cases, dreamy numbers, closer "Wilhelm Scream" in particular is a real escapist number but its the crowd who grab my attention. Watching a shy retiring type at a keyboard isn’t all that enthralling, even if they are singing beautifully, but the audience border on obsessive. One girl wants his children and offers herself in marriage, he politely declines, other just scream their approval and love. There are people all down the stairs trying to catch a view. Then a dispute kicks off in front, a few men talking during and between songs spark the ire of those around them who ask them to be quiet. They fail to keep schtum gathering further beef, one lady tells them off vociferously, another man behind them waves security over to tell them off. James continues as if nothing was happening I just smile and thank whoever that im not closer to them. James discusses his drummer, and keeps the songs going.

"Limit to Your Love" and "I Never Learnt To Share" both make the short set, which ends with the Wilhelm Scream. He rises and leaves, no encore that’s it. The night ends on a bum note when it is discovered my friend’s scarf has been stolen from her grasp. With that we leave.
It was nice, he’s good but I am not sure how he will translate to a longer set and a larger audience, the xx may have dealt with similar issues and I am sure he will too.