Foto: Anne-Marie Forker
English singer-songwriter and guitarist James Bay stopped by a sold out Sentrum Scene in Oslo on his "Up All Night Tour", in celebration of his fourth and latest studio album, "Changes All the Time", which features collaborations with The Lumineers, Noah Kahan and Brandon Flowers from The Killers (though none of them are on tour with Bay). He opened the concert with the upbeat recent hit “Up All Night”. The catchy chorus combined with Bay's delivery, charisma and stage presence captivated the crowd from the beginning. It was easy why he has been chosen as the warm up act for The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran and Bruce Springsteen. Joking with the audience throughout, when someone shouted "I love you James!" he quipped "No one said that last time I was here", which was back in 2016.
The setlist was a carefully crafted blend of fan favourites such as “Wild Love” and “Best Fake Smile” and new material, such as "Dogfight" from his latest album. Bay was backed by a tight knit 4 piece band, featuring a bass, a guitar, keyboards and drums. The guitarist was particularly good with a beautiful, clear tone to his playing which complimented Bay's rich vocals. A highlight of the evening was his 2015 breakthrough hit "Let it Go", showcasing his trademark transparent and honest lyrics. The pinnacle came during the encore, with the Grammy nominated song "Hold Back The River". The fans were left wanting more, and, true to the name of the tour, they gladly would have been kept "Up All Night" by Mr Bay.