“I used to come here with my mum when I was a kid” exclaims Jamie Webster as he surveys the 11,000-strong crowd packed into Liverpool’s M & S Bank Arena. “We saw Snow Patrol when I was 6 or 7. I think I was sitting somewhere up there,” as he gestures to the left side of the arena with an expression of emotional bewilderment, realising that he is now on stage headlining his biggest show to date in the city that he grew up in.
The rise and rise of Jamie Webster over the past few years has been something to behold. The Scouse talent first started his music career whilst working as an electrician, securing gigs wherever he could in the city of Liverpool. His songs about Liverpool Football Club catapulted him into stardom with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp even attending one of his pre-match shows back in 2018. Although Jamie Webster still holds a firm place within Liverpool FC’s fan culture, he has since gone on to prove himself as a highly skilled musician, with his two albums achieving prominent chart success. Announced earlier in the year, this concert has been the hottest ticket in town for some time, and is a very well-deserved homecoming for the talent who is only going to continue to rise to the top.
With Fatboy Slim’s ‘Praise You’ soundtracking his walk onto the stage, Jamie Webster wastes no time in generating a highly energised party atmosphere amongst the crowd. He kicks off proceedings with the lively ‘Living For Yesterday’ that is greeted with a thunderous reception, with many pints of beer being flung into the air in excitement. The track ‘Days Unknown’, which details Webster’s wish for a brighter future and keeps the atmosphere at boiling point.
Jamie Webster’s new album Moments, which debuted at number three in the UK Official Charts, dominates his opening set. The thunderous single ‘Davey Kane’ was meant to be played in an arena like this one, with the song’s haunting bassline sounding fantastic in such a big setting. ‘Knock On My Door,’ with lyrics that detail the effects of loneliness, is another track that adapts well to an arena environment. Webster looks on in awe as 11,000 people sing lyrics back to him, who wrote the majority of Moments in the COVID-19 lockdowns when live music was a distant memory.
Tonight is also a protest against the current political and social order as well as a headline concert.The Scouse musician frequently orchestrates chants of “f*ck the Tories!” and the response from the crowd is deafening. On occasion, the chants break out without Webster prompting the energetic crowd, such is the popularity of the chant and the sentiment it holds. Jamie Webster was raised in Liverpool, and in many ways he is also for Liverpool. The culture of the city runs through his veins and the music that he makes. His talent for expressing sentiments that the large majority of the city holds has made him so popular among the Scouse faithful. The crowd tonight at the Liverpool M & S Arena feels like one big community, and it is easy to see how much Webster’s lyrics and music means to many people.
As well as this explicit demonstration of anti-Tory passion, critiques of the government dominate Webster’s lyrics throughout his demography. ‘Common People’ details solidarity among the working class against Tory rule, whilst ‘Change’ explores Webster’s desire to speak to the elites in power. “The truth’s been born and sold // and all these politicians, with their burning coal” passionately belts Webster. The catchy Mersey-beat-esque ‘What More?!’ is a highlight of the night, with lyrics that describe how the Conservative government dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. “The leader had his sidekick, the sidekick broke the rules…” reminisces Webster. The track also includes a wonderful guitar solo in its middle, performed expertly by electric guitarist Danny Murphy.
“Who’s struggled with a mental health issue recently?” asks Webster halfway through his set, which is met with a loud reception from the M & S Arena. The musician then goes on to detail the importance of speaking up when experiencing suffering and how everyone “in our community in Liverpool should look out for one another.” This inspiring speech about mental health preludes the second album title track ‘Moments.’ “But still you try, try try, while everything beautiful passes you by // there’s electricity to life, so don’t cut off the supply” poignantly croons Webster.
This is a special night, and this is only heightened by Webster inviting onto the stage of his biggest musical inspiration, Billy Bragg. In what is one of the highlights of the night, the duet performs a rousing version of Bragg’s ‘Never Buy The Sun.’ The song holds a sentiment that is nowhere stronger than in Liverpool where the newspaper is permanently and famously banned from all shops. Webster has been previously labelled as ‘Liverpool’s answer to Billy Bragg’ and it is incredibly prominent to witness him perform with one of his inspirations. To mark the occasion, Webster also sings a wonderful rendition of The Beatles’ song ‘Blackbird,’ after he details that the only other Scouser to sell out the Liverpool M & S Arena was Paul McCartney.
Proceedings take a slower turn with the gorgeous ‘Something In The Air’, a poignant ballad that Webster wrote about his now-fiancee. Many take this as an opportunity to light up the arena with their phone lights as they sing Webster’s emotionally touching lyrics. Comedian and fellow Scouser John Bishop recently described ‘Something In The Air’ as “the most on point song about being in love that I have heard for years” and it’s hard to disagree with him. ‘North End Kid’ meanwhile is a slower ballad about a working-class boy who has big dreams but is instead stuck in a rut, and thus is heading down a path of addiction. It’s a touching moment and reduces many around me to tears as they shout back the lyrics.
As the night draws to a close, Webster decides to spring a surprise onto the crowd, with a cover of the Talking Heads track ‘This Must Be The Place.’ The synth chords sound gorgeous from Webster’s band, with the cover demonstrating Webster’s versatility as a musician. ‘This Must Be The Place’ goes down a treat among Webster’s adoring audience as many turn the M & S Arena into their dancefloor and is one of the highlights of the night.
Webster concludes his performance with two of his biggest hits. ‘This Place,’ a song about the city of Liverpool, threatens to raise the roof off the arena as everyone bounces to Webster’s acoustic guitar beat in unison. “My city, my people, my heart” sings Webster, as he openly becomes emotional at 11,000 people, many from Liverpool, singing the same words back to him. ‘Weekend In Paradise’ follows in the same vein and is a fantastic closer.
Jamie Webster is an astounding live performer who isn’t afraid to incorporate activism and social analysis into his work. With inflation at a height the country hasn’t seen in decades and a cost of living crisis that is making people prepare for a difficult winter, Webster’s music, full of anger as well as optimism for the future, is needed now more than ever. The combination of Webster’s earworm choruses and his anti-establishment lyrical flair has made him a hero in Liverpool, and his astounding show at the M & S Arena was a well-deserved victory lap for the Scouse musician, who should get used to playing venues of this size.
Words by Ester Scott
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.