Electronic and dubstep DJ, Jakwob returned to Lincoln on Monday, November 12th for a one-off party to celebrate the release of new single “Blinding.”
Jakwob, real name James Jacob, stopped off at his home city as part of a fresh UK tour, with both live and DJ sets across the country.
However, instead of staying behind the decks, he took to the stage for a live set. Jacob played drums, electronics and piano throughout, while backed by vocalist, Rocky Nti and guitarist, Etherwood.
Support on the night came from local band, “Benjamin V,” who, like Jakwob, also have roots in Lincoln. They warmed up the crowd with stunning male vocals, guitar and piano melodies. Unusually, this was backed with strings by a double bass player.
Lead singer, Ben thanked Jakwob in front of the crowd for picking Benjamin V to support him, despite not having heard them perform before. Speaking after the show, lead Ben continued: “We’re good friends with James (Jakwob) and I’ve written a fair bit of stuff with him in the past so he knew it would be alright.
“The crowd was amazing considering they were all there to see a dubstep gig, and probably more into noise than music!”
Jakwob took to the stage amongst huge cheers from the audience, and immediately took to the drums and keyboard, showcasing a set full of new material and songs from the “Prize” EP.
Rocky Nti, who had collaborated with Jakwob previously for the EP, provided great male vocals that still sat well with a heavy beat. The live set and small venue in the Platform section of the Engine Shed also meant there was a real sense of an intimate gig atmosphere.
“Let It Fall” had the crowd moving with a touch of a hip-hop beat, before the heavy bass line dropped. A mosh pit quickly formed in the crowd in time to the live drum and guitar beats, as well as the bass.
This was later followed by “Erupt,” which features Youngman on the “Prize” EP. However, starting off with haunting vocals on the night from Rocky Nti merged into a synth-come-dubstep beat.
Rocky wasn’t afraid to work the smaller crowd, getting everyone to chant: “We are, we are” to introduce the next song, of the same name.
“Go” gave the set a different tempo with hard-hitting lyrics, while the bassline took a back seat against a melancholy piano melody.
The vocals had a real chance to shine through with “Stay”, backed only by a basic drum beat and rolling bass-line, creating a calm atmosphere.
However Jakwob paused the set to announce to the crowd he was about to play new single, “Blinding,” which was greeted to huge cheers before the first note struck, and the audience clapped along in time.
Slow piano notes and haunting vocals from Rocky Nti combined, before an uplifting dub beat dropped and audience members of all ages were dancing – leaving no shred of the calm atmosphere a few songs earlier.
The lyrics of “Blinding” seemed to heighten the euphoric atmosphere, with lines such as “This is the light that you pray for” and “These are the moments people live for.”
While some artists may struggle with the transition from DJ sets to live performances, Jakwob did so seamlessly. Jacob looked completely at home behind the drum kit and keys – something which harks back to his childhood in Lincoln and experimenting with different instruments through his school years.
With a raft of new material showing a range of influences that eclipse normal dubstep beats, Jakwob has proved he can truly hold his own away from the DJ decks.
Thank you I think it is good drum