July 13, 2023
Kew The Music, London
Jack Savoretti’s climb through the pop ranks has been over a decade in the making, but in the last five years he’s gone from strength-to-strength, releasing a pair of chart-topping albums and playing the biggest shows of his career.
Among them, his headline spot at Kew Gardens was a night to remember for for the musician and the hordes of fans that flooded the West London site for a set that spanned the past 15 years, launching with the lively We Are Bound before soaring through recent releases Too Much History, Candlelight and Greatest Mistake.
Those songs are lifted from 2019’s ‘Singing To Strangers’ and the 2021 release ‘Europiana’ and Jack – who was accompanied by his superb live band and The Wandering Hearts on backing vocals – alternated between water and a glass of vino while checking off radio hits like Who’s Hurting Who and Secret Life and Dancing Through The Rain.
It wasn’t long before he stepped back even further in time for the title song from his breakthrough album, ‘Written In Scars’ (2015), and Knock Knock from the earlier ‘Before The Storm’ (2012), both showcasing the guitar-led style for which he was best known on his earliest records.
While not among his better-known hits, trademark husky vocals and a strong showing on acoustic guitar had the crowd lapping up every beat – with some no doubt rushing home to dive into his back catalogue.
But in a testament to his growth and versatility, Jack segued between genres with ease, from the gut-wrenching raw ballad The Way You Said Goodbye, to the bouncy pop of When We Were Lovers and the soul of You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, which he started as its Italian original, Io Che Non Vivo Senza Te, all demonstrating his range.
Rounding out the night with the aptly-titled Going Home in a fitting tribute to a fanbase nurtured over 15 years, he took a moment to thank the crowd for supporting live music in the wake of the pandemic and recognised the hunger for entertainment that’s seen the industry bounce back on a global scale.
A decade ago, Jack Savoretti was a guitar singer contemplating walking away from music altogether, so to see him 10 years later delivering a set of his strongest material to a packed-out crowd at one of the city’s biggest live music events is a testament to his immense talent and persistence to succeed.
From singles to album cuts, Jack’s repertoire comes to life on stage, but most impressive of all is his vocal, delivered effortlessly, which manages to be even more captivating in person than it is on record.
