Finsbury Park, London
The singer-songwriter’s kitchen-sink vignettes and pint-sloshing anthems defined 00s indie mischief. Almost 20 years on he shows that none of that lairy charm has worn off
Jamie T stands on the stage of Finsbury Park, takes a swig of lager, and thrusts his hands into his pockets. Almost two decades stretch out before him in a sea of 45,000 people. It’s a homecoming for the Wimbledon-born troubadour with the wonky teeth and cheeky grin, whose pint-sloshing indie anthems have been the soundtrack to the British coming-of-age story. Standing in the north London drizzle feels not only fitting, but like an act of patriotism.
Since his 2007 Mercury prize nominated debut, Jamie T has continued to climb to his feet after being knocked down with the “one-hit wonder” sucker punch. Every return is an underdog’s triumph: his fifth record released last year, The Theory of Whatever, marked his first UK No 1 album; tonight marks his biggest headline show of his career – and this, he tells us, is “the biggest moment of my life right now.”
