Bombay Bicycle Club were always at the vanguard of the UK indie scene. With every new release came a set of expansive new ideas and a development in their sound, and the brains behind this was chief songwriter Jack Steadman.

It was therefore upsetting when the four-piece went on an indefinite hiatus in 2015. While bassist Ed Nash continued the indie-pop vibe with Toothless, Steadman has turned the corner completely with Mr Jukes. An amalgamation of carefully crafted r&b, hip-hop, soul, funk and modern pop tracks, with guest appearances from the likes of Charles Bradley and De La Soul, God First was a risk that has turned out to be one of the finest debuts of the year. Taking on the role of artist, composer and producer in the writing process.

He threw on the bass guitar and took a backseat for the first show of the UK tour alongside his ridiculously accomplished nine-piece band. Turtleneck, bespectacled and now completely bald, he seemed completely at home among the brass instruments and soulful vocalists as he grooved around the stage with a contagious smile on his face for the duration. It’s as though he was working within certain constraints by being in a four-person guitar band and this was his chance to truly spread his wings in what looked like a completely natural setting for him.

Comprising a three-piece brass section, three backing singers, a drummer and keyboard player, the set featured sporadic solos from each person on stage. Every one greeted by rapturous applause from the sold out, Monday night audience who were lapping up every minute. The majority of the set came from the album, although a smooth cover of Lauryn Hill’s ‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’ gained one of the biggest reactions of the evening.

‘Somebody New’ displayed a boundless, infectious energy which permeated throughout the entire room, whilst ‘Tears’ saw a magical sax solo as well as the frontman orchestrating a sing-along in what is the most delicate track on the album and the closest he comes to replicating his Bombay days.

The three vocalists were sensational and were perfect stand-ins for the likes of Charles Bradley, with ‘Grant Green’ even more euphoric than on the record. Meanwhile, the thrilling jazz pilgrimage of ‘Angels / Your Love’ is the finest composition on the LP and perfectly matches up in a live setting, with a neat reprise ending the evening in stunning fashion.

A music obsessive in his teenage years, Jack Steadman initially saw himself as a jazz bassist rather than the frontman of a world famous indie band. In a strange turn of events, the 27-year-old is managing to relive that dream and the Concorde 2 crowd had a brilliant time watching him live out that fantasy.

Paul Hill

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