When I walked into Brudenell Social Club and saw two members of the band sitting down having a pint and watching the football, it all felt a bit surreal. Jagwar Ma have been one of my favourite bands since I first saw them three years ago so it was quite strange to see them sitting around a table in my local pub.

Brudenell Social Club is the perfect venue for a gig as the event space is small enough to feel intimate but big enough to fit in a decent crowd without feeling squashed. Due to its handy location for students mixed with the old man pub/social club vibe means that it always attracts a very mixed crowd: great to pop the student bubble that it is so easy to fall into.

The best thing about seeing Jagwar Ma live is the fact that they change their songs so much – it is obvious that they love to perform and as a result their live versions are way more intense, way more hectic and way more exciting. This enthusiasm is clearly reflected in the energy of the crowd.

Jagwar Ma got the balance between playing old and new material exactly spot on. They opened with ‘What Love’ from their first album and followed this with the newer ‘Now and Then’. Both were met with huge excitement from the audience, showing that the new album has gone down a treat.

The new album incorporates more bits of spoken word which worked amazingly in a live setting such as in ‘Give Me A Reason’ when Gabriel Winterfield starts talking about and demonstrating a dance called The Amoeba which the whole audience then took part in.

With new material under their belt, the band have seemed to get even stronger and added a lot to their live performances. If this continues, it is very exciting to think about what is next in store for Jagwar Ma.

Polly Hatcher

Image: Carry On Press