It wasn’t too long ago that James Yorkston visited The Bodega. Last time, it was with collaborator – and lead singer of Swedish legends The Cardigans – Nina Persson. This time, he finds himself in the midst of a solo tour, obviously relishing the relative freedom that affords as well as the venue’s improved dressing room (now with sofas!). Part gig, part suped-up folk night at your local, this was a rambunctious, heartfelt and human evening of music...
Supporting act Viking Moses impresses with emotive songs of love and loss, tinged with Americana and fingerpicked on electric guitar, lending the tracks a kind of impulsive quality.
He has a voice rough-edged with grit that at times drifts close to being a snarl. With the crowd’s eager blessing he plays some new, as yet untested songs, complimenting James Yorkston for encouraging him to write.
All of his songs are engaging and thought-provoking, proving his skill as a lyricist.
James Yorkston arrives and brings with him a crackle in the air. In an interview with LeftLion not so long ago, he promised an informal approach; he leans into that promise with brio and wit. Playing a setlist that spans his catalogue, studded with trad folk favourites, he takes the audience on a whistle-stop tour of the best folk can be – intimate and moving and joyful, often all at once.
There’s no percussion save for a stamped boot, no accoutrements beyond the strumming of the acoustic guitar and his careworn voice as he makes his way through Oh Light, Oh Light and trad song Arthur McBride. For the first 20 minutes or so, there’s nary a break, with Yorkston happily slipping deeper into the music, taking us whirling with him, through a beautiful rendition of When the Haar Rolls In, from the eponymous 2008 album, and St Patrick, from his days with The Athletes.
His clear love of performing suffuses the room with light, which only makes the allowances given to darkness all the more impactful. A Sweetness in You is dedicated to Scott Hutchison, singer of Scot rockers Frightened Rabbit, the void of his absence still keenly felt. Broken Wave (a Blues for Doogie) is another dedication, with Yorkston fondly remembering his bandmate and double bassist Doogie Paul, before admitting that the song also makes him think of his father nowadays.
Not that these moments pull the mood down. Yorkston’s skill as a writer and appeal as a person is that he is able to present melancholic reminisces alongside celebrations of love and weave them together into music that represents the complete tapestry of life. Like all great writers, he understands that the extremes of the human experience are inextricably linked, inevitably informed by each other.
Between songs, Yorkston is charmingly flighty, frequently spinning off into extended anecdotes, including a hilarious one involving the Later… With Jools Holland TV show and his nipples. While he doesn’t succumb to self-indulgence and the gig remains far from ‘An Evening With…’ territory, these stories and reflections contextualise the songs played in unexpected, interesting ways.
The mood of the night is exemplified by a playful, delightfully ramshackle duet for Love That Tree, taken from Songs for Nina and Johanna, with Viking Moses taking over Nina Persson’s part of the song, having been gently cajoled onstage from the merch stand. The two friends stumble and laugh their way through the impromptu performance, Yorkston providing a running commentary as smiles glow in the crowd.
The set finishes with Sweet Jesus, a request taken from the crowd. While it did (apparently) deny us an acoustic version of A Little Respect by Erasure, it was a soulful end to a nourishing gig that at the end of a long year, proved again that music is best when played live in front of you by people who love what they do. This wasn’t James Yorkston’s first visit to The Bodega and on the evidence of tonight, nor will it be the last. That can only be a good thing. Plus, he has a nicer dressing room to return to!
James Yorkston performed at The Bodega on 14th December 2025.
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