17/03/2012 | Jay James Picton – Liverpool Echo Arena

Jay James Picton, took to the stage in Liverpool’s Echo Arena as the supporting role for X Factor runner up Rebecca Ferguson for the final show of her debut headline tour. In a set that lasted little over half an hour Picton and his four piece band delighted the audience with eight tracks including Play it By Heart and Head Verses Hearts Part II and his set also included songs from his highly anticipated forthcoming album. If the live performance of these tracks is anything to go by then the calibre of music that we can expect from the album is going to be epic.

The unreleased tracks that Picton performed such as Gravity and You’re The Sea – both love songs; both beautiful – were his most accessible. His honey rough vocals and multi-layered sound coagulate to create something really rather remarkable. The big tracks just kept coming from Picton and he blew the audience away with his musicianship and soulful voice. His music is immeasurably impressive.

Whilst the hosting venue was partially empty during his set (people turning up in dribs and drabs throughout) it did not deter Picton from his performance and those who missed his set will come to regret it. The only downside was that he did not perform the Head Versus Hearts Trilogy in its entirety, though this is understandable given the track lasts a total of 21 minutes.

Picton’s set was peppered with tales of his career to date. At times, it felt like he was trying too hard to engage with the audience and his inbetween song banter wasn’t really necessary since his music sold him to the crowd. This however is a skill that comes with longevity, being only five years into his career this lack of grace will be forgiven. Regardless, it is a wondrous thing when the support act outshines the headliner but that is exactly what the Picton did. One thing is for sure, the audience may have bought a ticket for Rebecca Ferguson but they left the arena thinking about James Jay Picton.

www.jayjamespicton.com