By Nathan Matheson (@Nathan_Matheson)
After seven months of touring the world, the multi-instrumental sensation Jack Garratt returned to the UK to kick off his biggest headline tour to date at the O2 Academy in Glasgow. The 24 year old has risen to fame over the last year and gained a lot of respect since the release of his debut album, Phase.
He dived straight into album opener Coalesce with which he exhibited ground-breaking bass, piercing synths and a jaw-dropping vocal range. The wall of sound Garratt is able to create is astounding and you truly have to see it to believe it. He raises the bar for a “one man show” to a phenomenally high standard. Not to mention the most incredible lighting and stage designs you have ever seen.
Garratt then flexes his musical “muscles” with a string of covers, but only playing the introductions. Covering classic hits such as Superstitious, Still Dre and Killing In the Name. He is well known for relentlessly teasing the audience whilst showing off his incredible vocal and instrumental talents. He has this incredible ability to put his own unique spin on any song, this was also an opportunity to show the audience where he draws influence and inspiration from.
Now if you follow Garratt, you will know about his obsession for R&B music, particularly artists such as Craig David and Justin Timberlake. If you know this, you will agree with me that no Jack Garratt set is complete without his 7 Days/Señorita mash up. There’s no doubt that this genre is a huge influence in his music, which can be heard through his vocals and melodies.
His raw energy and passion culminated in the song Fire with his falsetto vocals, pleasingly chaotic yet controlled instrumentation, and a drum solo delivered with unbelievable energy and vigour. You can’t help but wonder how he is still standing at the end of the show.
My personal highlight came in the form of single Surprise Yourself. This uplifting song about tackling issues with self-confidence has an anthemic chorus and “woah-oh” refrain that lends itself beautifully to audience participation. The audience truly became one at this point as Garratt stood back from the mic and let us fill the room with noise. His facial expression spoke a thousand words at this point as he stood back and admired his audience.
The night was then rounded off with a two song encore. The first being the closing track on the album, My House is your Home, a slow love ballad which Garratt dedicated to his fiancée. He wasn’t going to leave us without wrenching on our heartstrings, which completed the whole experience. We were then brought home with a “beefed up” version of his most popular single Worry – guitar shredding and distortion galore!
Overall the night was a true spectacle. The dexterity in his vocals, his effortless and versatile musicianship, the stage setup and his charismatic stage presence came together to form what I believe could be the pinnacle of British pop music today.document.currentScript.parentNode.insertBefore(s, document.currentScript);
