Live Review: Jake Bugg, The Creases, The Growl

Cam Avery was tasked with rousing the crowd as they slowly trickled into The Hi-Fi, a challenge which he met with intriguing ease. Without the rest of the members of The Growl behind him, his solo act – comprising guitars, microphones and a sprinkling of harmonica – was more bluesy than expected, and the tone suited him well. Early on in his short set he swung into a stripped rendition of Douse The Lamps which he slowly built to breaking point with looped mouth percussions and layers of suitable growls. The songs were recognisable yet new to the ears, a treat for any fan or acquaintance. There was an air of cynicism about him as he played – “You know when you go to those family affairs like Christmas or Easter, and there's always that drunk relative... well, this is a song about when you become that drunk relative” – though he remained charming and constantly surprising, a trait hard to come by nowadays.

The Creases made themselves comfortable on their hometown stage, warmly greeting the swelling masses as well the proud parents in the audience. As the night edged onwards, all in attendance became conflicted by their urge to dance and sway and jump along with the indie-pop delights that rolled out one after another, as movement in any direction became impossible as strangers wedged themselves between each other. Just after the need to move subsided, the lads decided to jump into a cover (albeit hesitantly) of She's So High by '90s pop sensation Tal Bachman, and the scales were tipped in the direction of insanity. Just like the rest of their set, and surely to their own relief, they nailed it.

After much last minute shuffling of feet and bodies in a capacity crowd that was sure to break its banks, the youthful Jake Bugg bounced on stage, too cool in stride yet beaming as he approached the microphone. A man of few words, Bugg opted to dive straight into his set, in which he exceeded all expectation – and when such expectation is that of a 20-year-old who is touring his second sublime album, the desire is for greatness. It's difficult to say to what degree he amazed all in the audience, but what was clear was that he left particular members too eager for the hits, and so Bugg had to endure the screams for the better-known tracks throughout his entire performance. What was as marvellous as his show was the way in which Jake Bugg took everything in his stride, never letting calls fault his cool exterior, simply carrying on with a truly memorable performance.

Through the live setting, we were treated to a country-tinged sound not always picked up on by means of recordings; There's A Beast And We All Feed On It as well as Seen It All breathed new life and volume, and with it a new appreciation. It's just one hit after another, and with no banter between them it felt like he was on a rush, and the audience was given no time to settle before being again mesmerised. He jumped between albums, giving the better-known tracks Two Fingers, Slumville Sunrise and the sweet number A Song About Love some extra care in their execution. With that, Lightning Bolt is our farewell, not a moment too soon, satisfying in a way that you've seen an artist at their best, and making us quietly excited about the next inevitable tour to celebrate even more hits. Quietly confident, with fingers crossed; it needs to happen.