Having had one of his songs stuck in my head for the hour prior to the gig, I was ready to see Jeremy Loops in all his glory. The intimate gig, held at Stylus, was packed with people of all ages, showing pretty much anyone can be a fan of his diverse harmonica-playing-guitar-strumming style.

Supporting him were CROOX, “CROOX with an X” as they repeatedly mentioned. I’m definitely a fan of their euphonious, dark R&B vibe. The mellow track ‘Crying’ gives an excuse to close your eyes, sway your head and get lost in the moment and let’s just say it’s been on repeat a little bit too much since the gig…

Opening with ‘Sinner’, a favourite of his to play live, Jeremy Loops was instantly cheered, grinning cheek to cheek as he recalled stories of his journey. ‘Mission to the Sun’ was created with the sounds of a child’s toy and upon discovering him having to “carry this fucking thing around now” the crowd laughed and burst into song as the room was lit with exotic strobe lights and hand waving in the air.

Loops was a great sport and even took selfies from the stage on fan’s phones which pretty much made our hearts melt. His interaction with the audience all throughout was sweet and the gig really did feel personal.

Ending with a fun surprise, Loops created a round with ‘See I Wrote It for You’ and got the audience belting out the lyrics to the chorus which he looped around creating a massive, exciting, powerful atmosphere. Everyone was in that moment with him and his band and it was glorious.

Anika Vadukul

[image: pancakesandwhiskey.com]