By the look of the crowd, there aren’t many fluffy, oversized or sparkly hats left on the shelves in Glasgow. Among the originators of the quintessentially 90s acid-jazz genre, Jamiroquai are now a legacy act worthy of their own themed dress-up. Tonight, sole founding member and noted headgear enthusiast Jay Kay (hat tally: four) draws from three decades of material, ranging from their 1993 debut Emergency on Planet Earth to new material set for release next year.
Because many of these songs rely on flashy production, their strongest elements often get lost when translated to a live setting. The sweeping strings of Little L get buried in the mix, as do the beats on disco-leaning tracks such as Canned Heat. Seven Days in Sunny June is a bit livelier, benefiting from loose arrangements and acoustic instrumentation. Early single Too Young to Die is a showcase for Jay Kay’s impressive vocal range, still intact more than 30 years on.
The stage is set up as if for a vintage Vegas act, with a backing band arranged on cascading levels – somewhat to the detriment of their free-flowing frontman. Jay Kay is constantly moving around but never seems to have enough space to do his thing, having to shuffle in place or bounce on the monitors. Every time he has some back and forth with the enthusiastic crowd – including some attempts at Scottish vernacular – it seems as though he wishes he could be getting down alongside them, rather than remaining up on stage.
Even when dealing with some sound issues, he and his band are an extremely polished live act, but there’s no thrill in polish. Ultimately, this is a facsimile of music with more substance: Cloud 9 aims for gospel but there’s no depth; Tallulah has funk elements but a lack of sensuality; Disco Stays the Same has none of the essential transcendence of the genre it pays tribute to. However, as with many legacy acts, this doesn’t matter – the audience love these songs and will continue to love them for as long as Jay Kay and co play them competently, so they don’t have to worry about converting nonbelievers.
• At Co-Op Live, Manchester, 6 December; then touring
