Hometown heroes Alfie Sharp and Jerub joined forces for a sold-out show at The Bodega…
A hometown show is always a special occasion, especially when it’s sold out. Not only that, but it was the first show Jerub had ever sold out, and deservedly so. But first, he enlisted the help of fellow local artist and friend Alfie Sharp to warm the crowd up.
With his EP Home Truths having released back in March, tracks like Home (which saw Alfie take to the piano) and Wasted (which closed the set) were able to shine in the intimate setting, mirroring the situation they were inspired by – playing piano in his grandmother’s living room.
Both artists are able to communicate their emotion solely through their vocals, which meant their sets complemented each other perfectly. Halfway through his set, Jerub’s band left the stage to give him a moment with just the crowd and his guitar, mirroring the shows he did early in his career.
This made the intimate venue of The Bodega feel even more so, as he chatted and laughed with the crowd, telling anecdotes about how he met Lionel Richie and his younger sister, who was front row in the audience, didn’t know who he was.
Earlier in the set, when performing new track What If, the band faded away to leave Jerub’s emotional vocals, performing a slower, more heartfelt version of the chorus – which is upbeat and joyous in the original song – to bring the track to a close.
There were many other moments of connection throughout the evening, including a singalong moment which took place – surprisingly – in an unreleased song, where the crowd sang “I just want to feel alive” back at Jerub.
Tracks like Paint Me In Gold, Feel It, and the unreleased Carry The Load packed a punch, with powerful instrumental bursts allowing Jerub’s voice to roar with power.
Elsewhere, his latest single Gonna Be Okay and There Till The End were uplifting and positive, ending the main portion of the set on a moment of hope.
But since this was a hometown show, it only made sense for Jerub to close the set with Hometown, a song about wanting to explore the world but not wanting to lose the version of yourself that you are when you’re home.
“There’s nothing like your hometown,” Jerub said, to an eruption of applause from the crowd, which was seemingly never ending. And there is no one more deserving of it than Jerub – not only one of Nottingham’s brightest talents, but also one of its most genuine souls.
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