Untitled Document

Joe (with support from Nathan) @ Brixton Academy, London

10/12/2006

By Nooreen Kara

Almost two years after his last public UK appearance, the Brixton Academy welcomed Joe back to these shores with a sold out crowd. But it wasn’t just the US that were repping the R&B scene – south London’s very own Nathan took to the stage in support. A little dance routine to a Justin Timberlake soundtrack kicked off his performance, before he sang acapella to ‘Round & Round’. He then rewound back through his catalogue to the single which made him big, ‘Come Into My Room’. The 2004 mainstream hit marked the emergence of the UK’s biggest urban singer since Craig David, with the young star having since been called up to perform with the likes of Missy Elliot, Mario and ATL. After taking a year out to develop as an artist, Nathan released ‘Masterpiece’ in October this year. And to signal his passion for what he does, the new single, ‘Do Without My Love’, uses a metaphor for his love for music.

A delayed line-up of support acts saw Joe appear on stage around the 10pm mark. The late start simply served as an encouragement for the 4,000-odd fans packed into the venue screaming his name. Strutting out in jeans, a hoody and a smile, Joe looked every bit the street superstar as he came out to a mid-tempo medley of ‘Don't Wanna Be A Player’, ‘Ride With You’ and ‘Stutter’. Trailed by four dancers and a live band, Joe instantly had the audience in a trance.

2007 will see Joe’s forthcoming album ‘Joe Who? Joe Thomas’ hit the scene. Despite being pushed back, this release has high expectations, and features the ‘Get to Know Me and ‘Baby Where You At’, the latter of which had a word-for-word audience sing-a-long in accompaniment.

Of course, Joe’s a known slow-jam specialist and the crowd were not left dissatisfied. He performed a selection of hits from his ‘And Then…’ album: ‘Priceless’, ‘More & More’ and ‘Jeep’. And although ‘Let’s Stay Home Tonight’ may be a predictable ‘let’s make love all night’ R&B track, Joe’s soulful vocals had him singing like he was alone with the woman he loved.

It was ladies’ night all evening, but the next few tracks catered especially for those independent women out there. ‘What If A Woman’ and ‘Treat Her Like A Lady’ had Joe standing up against the lying, cheating, deceiving (the list goes on…) guys out there. Rolling back with ‘All The Things’, ‘Good Girls’ and ‘Love Scene’, Joe had us crooning to the highlights of the ’90s before ending the show with ‘I Wanna Know’.

The late start meant Joe’s set was cut short to an hour; the planned acoustic set of ‘No One Else’ and ‘All That I Am’ was left to our imaginations. Instead, during Joe’s outfit change, we ‘enjoyed’ a 5-minute introduction to the band and watching the female dancers ‘shake their money makers’. Time well spent? I think not.

On the whole, however, Joe did not disappoint. With a catalogue that goes back over 13 years, he had the perfect balance between old and new, up-tempo and slow. Look out for ‘Joe Who? Joe Thomas’ out next year.

Return To Concert Review Archive

US Music | Clubs | Front Page | UK Music | Events


	Joe (with support from Nathan) @ Brixton Academy, London 10/12/2006 By Nooreen Kara Almost two years after his last public UK appearance, the Brixton Academy welcomed Joe back to these shores with a sold out crowd. But it wasn’t just the US that were repping the R&B scene – south London’s very own Nathan took to the stage in support. A little dance routine to a Justin Timberlake soundtrack kicked off his performance, before he sang acapella to ‘Round & Round’. He then rewound back through his catalogue to the single which made him big, ‘Come Into My Room’. The 2004 mainstream hit marked the emergence of the UK’s biggest urban singer since Craig David, with the young star having since been called up to perform with the likes of Missy Elliot, Mario and ATL. After taking a year out to develop as an artist, Nathan released ‘Masterpiece’ in October this year. And to signal his passion for what he does, the new single, ‘Do Without My Love’, uses a metaphor for his love for music. A delayed line-up of support acts saw Joe appear on stage around the 10pm mark. The late start simply served as an encouragement for the 4,000-odd fans packed into the venue screaming his name. Strutting out in jeans, a hoody and a smile, Joe looked every bit the street superstar as he came out to a mid-tempo medley of ‘Don't Wanna Be A Player’, ‘Ride With You’ and ‘Stutter’. Trailed by four dancers and a live band, Joe instantly had the audience in a trance. 2007 will see Joe’s forthcoming album ‘Joe Who? Joe Thomas’ hit the scene. Despite being pushed back, this release has high expectations, and features the ‘Get to Know Me and ‘Baby Where You At’, the latter of which had a word-for-word audience sing-a-long in accompaniment. Of course, Joe’s a known slow-jam specialist and the crowd were not left dissatisfied. He performed a selection of hits from his ‘And Then…’ album: ‘Priceless’, ‘More & More’ and ‘Jeep’. And although ‘Let’s Stay Home Tonight’ may be a predictable ‘let’s make love all night’ R&B track, Joe’s soulful vocals had him singing like he was alone with the woman he loved. It was ladies’ night all evening, but the next few tracks catered especially for those independent women out there. ‘What If A Woman’ and ‘Treat Her Like A Lady’ had Joe standing up against the lying, cheating, deceiving (the list goes on…) guys out there. Rolling back with ‘All The Things’, ‘Good Girls’ and ‘Love Scene’, Joe had us crooning to the highlights of the ’90s before ending the show with ‘I Wanna Know’. The late start meant Joe’s set was cut short to an hour; the planned acoustic set of ‘No One Else’ and ‘All That I Am’ was left to our imaginations. Instead, during Joe’s outfit change, we ‘enjoyed’ a 5-minute introduction to the band and watching the female dancers ‘shake their money makers’. Time well spent? I think not. On the whole, however, Joe did not disappoint. With a catalogue that goes back over 13 years, he had the perfect balance between old and new, up-tempo and slow. Look out for ‘Joe Who? Joe Thomas’ out next year. Return To Concert Review Archive
	US Music \| Clubs \| Front Page \| UK Music \| Events