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.
