Jersey Budd, Wonderlands Album Launch @ Leicester University UK – 11th May 2009
Jersey Budd is fast becoming one of the favourite sons of all at Birmingham Live. Relatively unknown at the moment, it’s only a matter of time before the musical world is, like us, rejoicing in the sound of Leicester’s new found talent.
Monday marked the day in which he released his debut album ‘Wonderlands’ and, after a signing session at his local music store, he rounded the day off nicely with a packed out gig at the local university in Leicester.
Making his way to the stage, local Budd was visibly ‘over the moon’ with the massed ranks of local lads and lassies assembled in the University lounge. If local support is anything to go by, this ex-schoolmate of electro rockers Kasabian – themselves musical legends – will soon be playing in front of full houses up and down the country.
‘Visions of You’ was his opening gambit, an upbeat stomping track which really sent out a message of intent from the 25 year old. This was his headline gig, in a packed out venue in his home town on the day he released his album. He was gonna enjoy it. The brass section – messers Tom Bone et al – added to the fullness of the sound and it was evident from that moment on that it was going to be a stomping gig.
Budd then bounced and rocked his way through the majority of his new release, from the poetic ‘Shot Gun Times’, through to the fantastic ‘She Came Back to Me’, (nicely dedicated to his missus Kim), interspersed with the odd acoustic gem like ‘The Blind Man’. Optimism is hard to come by in these days of economic doom and gloom, but Budd is on a one man mission to put some positivity back into pop. Good on him! With a vocal that draws comparisons from Dylan, to Springsteen to Cat Stevens (or whatever he’s now called!!), it’s only a matter of time before this upbeat approach pays off.
On his finale, he was joined on stage by Julie E. Gordon, the ex stable mate of Shaun Ryder and the Happy Mondays and, as the band quite literally bowed out to rapturous applause, it was evident that this boy is going to go far.
You may think that we are professing too many superlatives on to the shoulders of Budd, and that we’re waxing a little too lyrical about the musical prowess. Well, if that’s the case, tough!! We like Jersey here at BL, he’s a real decent guy, and someone who we definitely hope makes it in the cut and thrust world of the music business.
Words by Zak Edwards
Photos by Bianca Barrett