Wimbledon's lovable rogue, Jamie T, returned to the Northwest on Wednesday after a lengthy six years without him. It's hard to believe it has been sixteen years since Jamie T released his debut single, Sheila, when our youthful weekends were soundtracked by his cockney-esque rap and spent trying to perfect the 'bluh' after the Sheila lyrics 'blue-blooded murder of the English tongue' with friends in dingy nightclubs. To his fan's delight, those weekends were just an arm's length away less than forty-eight hours ago inside O2 Victoria Warehouse, where Jamie T took to the stage in a timeless, effortless manner and transported us back to the noughties.

In typical Jamie T fashion, the musician rocked up in straight-leg denims and a black baseball cap, which was later flung into the hands of an overjoyed fan. The sold-out show started with Brand New Bass Guitar, the opening track of Jamie T’s debut album, Panic Prevention. The fast-paced acoustic hit was met with cheers and it became evident that the low-lit warehouse was crammed with day-one fans, revelling in the nostalgia with some questionable dancing and two-pinter beers. After nailing a few more classics from Panic Prevention, Jamie T invited a fan on stage to accompany him in singing 90s Cars, a track from his new album, The Theory of Whatever. The energy of the duo, bouncing off each other (and literally across the stage), created an exhilarating atmosphere which was distinctly maintained throughout the evening.

    Much to a personal pleasure, Jamie T merged tracks such as The Man’s Machine and Spider’s Web into his set, from his second studio album, Kings & Queens. For me, these are prime examples of his brilliance; Jamie T is nothing short of a lyrical mastermind, with boundless proof of musical intellect and unrivalled talent. If his five studio albums are anything to go by, it seems Jamie T has almost fashioned his own genre of music; a genre which possesses an amalgamation of indie-rock, rap and ska, which would be difficult to ever define, and, whilst he keeps his distinctive sound consistent, he is forever showing us just how diverse he can be; from his purposeful sloppy pronunciation fused with tongue in cheek rhymes to his emotive, melodic songs, such as Emily’s Heart, I can’t think of many other artists who are able to provide so much consistency whilst also upholding the ability to surprise.

To bring the evening to a much anticipated close, Jamie T said his goodbyes with his (arguably) three best hits, Sheila, Sticks ‘n’ Stones and his grungy, fast-tempo classic, Zombie. Watching from the mezzanine, I can confidently say that I have never seen so much movement from a crowd before. It seems many people will have left O2 Victoria Warehouse drenched in lager with little to no voice (and I’m positive there will have been a few sore heads on Thursday morning too). Jamie T is the pivotal example of an ageless artist with a solid fan base, despite his clear intentions to live a relatively quiet life with his timing between tours and his modest silence on social media. With his recent return to touring and a newly released album, I am hopeful that Jamie T is Back in the Game and that Manchester won’t have to wait too long to relive a night of the noughties again.