James Marriott at Roundhouse
From the very beginning, James Marriott let the atmosphere do the talking. The opening track, Ventriloquist, slowly built suspense with layered choir-like vocals and subtle synths. It set the stage for a night that effortlessly flowed between stripped-back segments and explosive crescendos.
Marriott’s real power on stage comes from his control – of pacing, of resonance and of the feelings running within each song. His voice stayed steady and clear, cutting through arrangements that transitioned from soft electronic threads to fuller, guitar-driven passages. The band moved in perfect sync with him, especially during the more complex instrumental parts, where their precision really came into focus.
Across the set, Marriott’s openness was one of his most striking assets. Car Lights delivered a tender point in the evening, its exploration of inner turmoil mirrored in Marriott’s tearful performance. The audience’s reaction was immediate – an extended round of applause that seemed to cradle the room in a shared moment of empathy, easing the weight before the liveliness of the show picked up again.
Later, Romanticise This produced the opposite effect. A surge of collective release rolled out as its central line was shouted back with fervour, a reminder of how directly Marriott’s writing speaks to his listeners’ own reflective histories.
In fact, these shifts were carefully orchestrated throughout the gig, with production playing a key role in guiding the mood from one instance to the next. Him, bathed in a neon purple backdrop, became one of the concert’s standout peaks. The lighting amplified the tune’s volatility, and the tension-and-release woven into its structure rippled through the room. Fans were practically leaping with energy, their voices rising as they were fully caught up in the song’s chaotic intensity. Elsewhere, cooler textures and minimalist staging let the quieter lyrics breathe, allowing them to land with real impact, free from distraction.
This sense of connection remained strong during a playful mid-set “crowd choice” bit – with Marriott inviting cheers for several song options before cheekily performing more than one – kept the vibe loose and communal. To top it off, the unreleased California Rain drew an outsized reaction, suggesting an audience eager to follow new material rather than cling only to familiar hits.
Even in the calmer stretches, Marriott’s range and command of tone, coupled with the ensemble’s sharpness, kept the momentum from dipping. The Roundhouse ultimately presented an artist leaning into emotional transparency and musical detail, supported by a crowd ready to meet him there.
Dionysia Afolabi
Photos: Virginie Viche
For further information and future events, visit James Marriott’s website here.
Watch the video for Something’s Wrong here:
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