Jamie Emsell

Jamie Emsell

song

Just Listening to the Flaming Lips

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at OOTB

(April 2003)
Pop poet Jamie Emsell started off with a song written this afternoon, "I'm Not Scared (Of This Love You Bring)". This was hopelessly romantic and, speaking on behalf of OOTB, we love hopeless romantics. His easy, mid-paced style of guitar playing is great but it's his light, well-pitched vocals and fine, melodic songs which interest me most. "Keep Your Head Above The Water" was written with drums in mind, though had never been played with them until tonight. His lyrics (sample: 'save your mouth for breathing/'cos there's nothing left to say') are essentially mindless pop but sound brilliant in the context of his songs. The prime example is the throwaway but completely awesome "Just Listening To The Flaming Lips". This is one of the very few songs which are applauded before they're actually played! This is beautifully constructed, totally refreshing and, even with the swearwords, could easily make the pop chart. Do people mind swearwords on the radio these days?

(March 2004)
Back after (I believe) a long break, came Jamie with his Coldplay infected pop. First song was introduced as a short pop song called "The Love You Bring". With an infectious loping rhythm and lines like "nothing courageous about me, I'm grateful for your push from behind", this one reminded us all of what we've been missing. Jamie's second was described as a work in progress. With a high capo'd guitar and rhythmic strumming this contained the line "on a telephone line I'm just hanging on for dear life". Jamie closed with the old OOTB favourite "Listening to the Flaming Lips" which caused a mass breakout of percussion in the crowd and ended his set to rowdy applause for the gathered OOTBers.