James Vincent McMorrow - Live At Royal Festival Hall, London

Excited cheers flowed through the audience as the stage went dark, and out emerged a suited, bearded and well-mannered Irishman: James Vincent McMorrow, A.K.A. JVM, A.K.A. The Most Humble Man In Music.

Having sold out Queen Elizabeth Hall in May last year, tonight’s event at Royal Festival Hall had upped the ante somewhat, and he made no show of hiding his own astonishment.

After opening the night with an acoustic solo track, his band of merry men (and one woman) join him on stage and take position. He removes his jacket and claimes he never normally wears a suit, taking a moment to remember that just a year ago he was humbly performing at the St Pancras Church in front of one hundred people. At the sold-out Royal Festival Hall, there are 2,500 of us. Not to mention the extensive international tour that he’s coming to the end of. He hides his nerves well until admitting he’s muddled the set list two tracks in.

Launching into ‘The Sparrow And The Wolf’, this is one of the more - dare it be said - upbeat songs from his debut album ‘Early In The Morning’. Its cheery banjo chords gets toes a- tapping and heads a-nodding. Otherwise, the album exudes a quiet melancholy, which, in an unfathomable way, somehow fills the room with warmth, happiness and smiles. His voice is haunting and emotive, reflecting the life of a man that has lived and loved and lived a bit more. Hand-holding is rife amongst the affected audience.

Moving from solo guitar to full band percussion, total attention is paid to JVM’s poetic lyrics, which tell stories of love, heart break and mythical tales. The mere sound of a sniff is like an offensive nail down a blackboard, interrupting the silence cast over the room. As a live act, he possesses the skill to make everyone shut up and listen.

Though often compared to Bon Iver, James Vincent McMorrow stamps his own brand of style on the folk genre. He takes time to applaud his support act, Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel, and acknowledged his contemporary’s brilliance. All the while never failing to express gratitude for his own accomplishments and success.

The master of a powerful crescendo, his songs tend to start off gently building up to a heart-bursting peak of piano, tambourine and crashing drums. Nearly every song break causes a happy fan to call out “I love you James!” to which the singer mostly replies with a self-deprecating chuckle while tuning his guitar. That is, until one male fan cries out “Marry me!” Good-humoured JVM responds with a chummy thumbs-up and agrees “Deal.”

The love is a mutual feeling, as a bewildered JVM frequently comments on what an amazing year he’s had. From a few small pubs back home to an international tour, his success has rocketed in an upward trajectory, but the Irish musician is still adjusting to the sudden fame. Not to mention the marriage proposals. The humble thanks and appreciation to his fans only make him all the more charming. And with a standing ovation after a much-desired encore, no doubt James will have to get used to it.

Words by Ellie de Rose
Photo by Helen F. Kennedy

Click here for a photo gallery of the gig.