Waterfront sell-out for Jamie T


02 February 2007

Like a modern-day mix of Billy Bragg and Vicky Pollard, Jamie T (or Jamie Treays, as he's known to his mum) is set to divide opinion.

On the plus side, his songs frequently have a vibrant narrative, rich in poetic observation. The downside, at least to some ears, is the Sarf London patois he insists on singing.

The tall, skinny teenage lad from Wimbledon is clearly influenced as much by The Clash, Tom Waits, Rancid and The Specials as the drum'n'bass and garage that surrounded him while growing up.

Armed only with an acoustic bass guitar, he began playing the backrooms of pubs in Soho and Twickenham. The songs on his just released debut album, Panic Prevention, feature tales of life in identikit suburbia and what it is to be a young man growing up in 1990s Britain.

The live experience is akin to the troubadour spirit of the American folkies of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan colliding headlong with true English gents like Paul Weller, Billy Bragg and Elvis Costello, with a few pills and cans of Stella to loosen the creative juices.

There no d oubt he possesses the ability to pen a memorable hook or two. Whether his faux street-slang vocal-style though will enthral or enrage you depends on your tastes. Like Marmite, you'll either love or hate it. He's mates with Lily Allen. Make of that what you will.