TIME FOR T - EVENTUALLY!

South Londoner plays his re-scheduled Southampton tour date.

Published: 4th February 2010

All was going relatively well for Jamie Alexander Treays last year, his second album 'Kings & Queens' settled quite snuggery into the album charts, the single 'Sticks & Stones' landed within the top twenty with ease and his distinctive singing talented voice could be heard almost everywhere. In fact, that was what caused the problem in the first place.

The problem being that Jamie had to postpone his Australian tour dates thanks to a spot of laryngitis. It wasn't just the Poms who suffered his misfortune, days later the European and UK dates were also pulled and fans had a three month wait until their tickets became valuable for a good eighty minutes of live music.

With the wait eventually up this week Jamie T returned to Southampton Guildhall, a venue where his previous tour saw him play tracks from his debut album, Panic Prevention. Now back and with one hundred percent more reading space to his discography thanks to Kings & Queens tonight’s performance plugs in the electric sounds of The Man's Machine.

Just a few months ago the only sheet of A4 paper within Jamie's grasp was probably being written on by a doctor to diagnose his illness, tonight the white sheet laid out in front of him revealed the seventeen tracks to be played tonight; the next of which being Salvador.

A live performance is 50-50, or se we are told before 368 is played before tonight’s crowd who respond by singing the chorus with 100 per cent enthusiasm.

Another banter takes a dig at poor old Paulo Nutini as Jamie shares with us a criticism which is spastically raised that he raps too fast; Wearing his black hoodie and with his own 'new shoes on' Jamie and his pulse beating backing band, The Pacemakers tear out 'So Lonely was the Ballad' before not missing a beat through 'Emily's Heart' on an acoustic guitar.

Back in the Game and Operation bookend the dyslexic friendly sounds of Alicia Quays before we jump on The Northern Line, which was the underground B-side to Sheila. Retracing Jamie's own tracks we follow him to his chart success status with tracks such as, 'If You Got The Money'. The 2006 hit sees the inhabitants of Southampton Guildhall chanting back the lyrics which circle around the building which mimics the spiralling words to the cover of the 'Kings & Queens' album, which incidentally is the chosen backdrop to this current tour.

The encore sees Jamie telling us that to show admiration for live bands his youthful years had seen himself and his friends would throw various objects to the stage to show their admiration. This of course opens the floodgates for flying pint glasses and what-have-you to hurtle towards the Wimbledon lad to accompany the verses to Chaka Demus. The sight could only be described as the welcome Mika would receive on Rock day at the Reading festival - minus firearms and machetes, of course!

Sticks & Stones ends the evening and with his larynx still in tact the question is...Was It worth the Wait? Course it was, Jamie T is back and this time; let's just hope his voice stays with him.