JERUB at The Exchange - Review

I arrive at The Exchange (an intimate, grassroots venue near Cabot Circus in the middle of Bristol) as the first support act of the evening – Fieldlily, are performing. Their stripped back alternative folk, complete with lilting harmonies, was a lovely, unexpectedly calm, beginning to the evening. Equally, the second support act, Persia Holder, was a pleasant surprise – her voice was gorgeous, and her easy listening singer-songwriter received a lot of support from the crowd, especially her cover of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars' 'Die with a Smile' - which was the highlight of her set.

Then JERUB finally came on stage, and I was immediately hit by his cool, relaxed, laid-back presence. Being in the crowd felt like observing a family gathering – people looped their arms around each other, cried and laughed, and when JERUB asked how people there had seen him live before, a majority of the room raised their hands.

An optimistic, nostalgic feeling permeated the whole evening – I imagine the vibe being similar to an early Mumford and Sons or Lumineers show, even complete with occasional moments of pretentiousness (for example, at one point the audience were asked to close their eyes, listen to a song and 'feel the music'). Despite these slightly contrived moments, JERUB is a charismatic, endearing performer – especially impressive when considering he only had one other musician performing with him on stage to bounce off. His voice is fantastic, and his music is very clearly capable of capturing an audience who relate to and love it dearly.