Walking into Rescue Rooms on Tuesday, I couldn’t help but notice how diverse the crowd was. JP Cooper had managed to attract one of the most varied crowds I’d ever seen at a gig and it was beautiful to witness such a range of different people united by one man.
Supporting JP Cooper was rap band PROSE from Manchester. This was my introduction to the band and whilst I didn’t particularly enjoy the music, they must be commended for their stage presence. PROSE definitely performed their role, harmonies were on point and frontman Mike Murray rapped and sang with exceptional skill.
“In a saturated market of guitar-playing singer-songwriters, JP Cooper definitely stands out”
However, there seemed to be little variation from track to track. That being said, the gritty track ‘What If’ definitely caught my attention. From the opening lines: “What if my father never took drugs? Played his part, gave his heart to us enough love…” to the last lyric, I was gripped. Mike wasn’t afraid to let his emotions take over while performing this song, which made for an exceptional performance.
JP Cooper stepped on the stage calm and collected, pleased with the turnout. He wasted no time, picked up his guitar and went straight into his latest single ‘September Song’. Wow. The man’s vocals were flawless and he kept it up for the whole gig. In a saturated market of guitar-playing singer-songwriters, JP Cooper definitely stands out. His use of melisma and falsetto is phenomenal.
“I feel like JP Cooper is about to hit another level with the album he’s currently working on…”
After playing his first few songs, JP took some time to interact with the audience. He didn’t try to be funny, but he was calm and humble, making a few jokes here and there. It was impossible not to like the guy. The variation in styles and the merging of genres that went on during the live show made the gig so interesting, some songs were soul and others were indie/reggae.
Credit must also go to JP Cooper’s band. Especially the lead guitarists who provided some epically virtuosic solos (albeit without the epic facial expressions to go with them). Also the keyboardist/synth player provided some phenomenal harmonies that added so much to the performance.
While I thought the old songs were great, I feel like JP Cooper is about to hit another level with the album he’s currently working on. The song from his upcoming album was easily the highlight of my night. From the groovy bass line to the silky guitar riffs with elements of Stevie Wonder, JP Cooper’s ‘Runnin’ might be one of the best songs I’ve heard this year.
What more can I say? The guy put on an awesome performance and if this new song is any indication of how the future album is going to sound, he’s only going to get better.
Joshua Ogunmokun
Image courtesy of the artist
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