Music / Reviews
Review: Jamie Cullum, Bristol Beacon – ‘Ever the effervescent showman’
Jamie Cullum was in fine form and contemplative mood at the Bristol Beacon, remembering that he had been to the venue in its former incarnation with his nan to watch Tony Bennett.
He may have sat in a similar spot too on Friday night as while singing Mankind from his 2019 album Taller he jumped off the stage and went on a promenade around the stalls, serenading a few audience members along the way.
This now fortysomething showman (who seems to have discovered the secret of eternal youth) even found an empty seat and stood on it to sing directly towards the crowd in the balconies.
is needed now More than ever
While not wandering around the Beacon, Cullum stood on his piano, plucked its insides during a cover of Everlasting Love, dabbled in a spot of electronica during a cover of Killing in the Name and continued with those reminisces.
Bristol, he said, was where he went to some of his first gigs including Roni Size (playing at the Bristol24/7 tenth anniversary party at the Spiegeltent on November 30) and played his first festival at Ashton Court as part of the Alex Jackson Quartet.
“I really like this new hall,” Cullum said. “It’s what Bristol deserves… This is such a special place. It feels like coming home.”
Jamie Cullum midway through his promenade around the stalls at the Bristol Beacon – photo: Martin Booth
Even a floppy microphone at his Yamaha grand piano could not stop the ever-effervescent Cullum who both started and finished this concert sat alone on the keys.
As smoke rose from behind him, it was reminiscent of the smoky jazz clubs of old.
But Cullum – whose support act Billy Lockett is returning to Bristol in February to headline the Exchange – cannot be pigeonholed into just one genre.
How many other acts can cover Everybody Wants to be a Cat as well as releases by Rage Against the Machine and Sabrina Carpenter during the same evening in mid-November that they also play a Christmas song?
Sat at the piano and accompanied by a double-bassist and drummer, he asked the crowd whether they wanted newly arranged versions of songs by either Peter Gabriel or Carpenter and the reaction for the American starlet was the clear winner, with Please Please Please neatly segueing into Espresso.
Between Cullum’s reminisces, his unique musical talents and showmanship were creating some new special memories.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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