Jake Bugg takes on Union Chapel for a beautifully funny acoustic set.

Swapping the usual gig scenery for the timeless greatness of Union Chapel, Jake Bugg turns the cliché of an acoustic set into tongue in cheek, humorous insight into the eloquence of his catalogue.

Bugg quickly sets the scene for the night lead on by his country-fused guitar and idiosyncratic vocals. Intertwining genres as well as pacing between the diverse phases of his song-writing career, Bugg covers a wide ground of melodies, from the furious frenzies of the fast pace country driven, to the heart-aching melancholic ones.

The Nottingham ode Trouble Town of his immense self-titled debut bears an odd sense of rickety elegance. Inevitably this also carries a sense of nostalgia for Bugg as he admits: “the songs of my first record get harder to sing”.

Dipping into Country Song, Bugg lets us in on a little anecdote about his mum’s neighbour that didn’t seem all that pleased with his song-writing. “The neighbour was banging on the wall, probably why it’s so short,” he jokingly excuses.

Despite admitting he woke up merely an hour before the set, Bugg seems at high spirit, not only delivering a good musical performance, he takes the time for commentary as well as jokes. The very stoic nature of an acoustic set easily sets the crowd up for yawning disappointment, and though it at times is a bit of a slippery slope, Bugg proves how far some musical diversity, a bit of irony and a whole lot of charm can get you.

The looming mystery of Strange Creatures takes on an almost mythical dimension in the church room. The tangible tension and simple structure of the song expands in the darkness, turning each searing line into a story in it’s own right.

His personal criticism of the manufactured media, There’s A Beast And We All Feed It takes a little turn as Bugg sings ‘stop’. Taking a way to appropriately pause for a drink before going on with the tune. The little second of coming relief keeps the set on the level, preventing the predictable dips of excitement.

Though Bugg does a great effort with the acoustic format, it still falls a bit flat on songs such as Slumville Sunrise, which demands more punch that a single guitar can bring alone.

“I’ll play a new one, then I’ll play and old one. I will play Two Fingers, hate the video for it though,” Bugg states, before delving into Indigo Blue of his latest Hearts That Strain. The melodic touch and sensitive dips in the soundscape come together as a rather atmospheric concoction. Playing on the blue end of the emotional spectre is one of Bugg’s forte and it is definitely enhanced this acoustic evening.

Strumming up Two Fingers finally, it’s clear that Bugg’s breakthrough hit still stands as a beacon of his set.

It’s extraordinary how he captures the attention of a packed room with just a guitar and a cheeky attitude. Wrapping up with Lightning Bolt it’s definitely been one of the most interesting acoustic experiences I’ve had, but still, you do miss the band at times.

Photos: Aurora Henni Krogh