Jamiroquai Review – Acid jazz stars sporting a cap are brilliant but lacking in substance | Pop and rock

forDue to public perception, there are not many delicate, oversized or shiny hats on the shelves in Glasgow anymore. Among the innovators of the acid jazz genre in the 1990s, Jamiroquai are now a legacy act worthy of their own dressing. Tonight, sole founding member and renowned headgear enthusiast Jay Kay (hat count: four) draws from three decades of material, from their 1993 debut “Emergency on Planet Earth” to new material scheduled for release next year.

Because many of these songs rely on flashy production, their strongest elements are often lost when translated to a live setting. Little L’s sweeping strings are buried in the mix, as are the beats on disco-leaning tracks like Canned Heat. Seven Days in Sunny June is a bit more lively, making use of looser arrangements and acoustic instrumentation. Early single “Too Young to Die” is a showcase of Jay Kay’s impressive vocal range, still intact over 30 years on.

The stage was set as if for a classic Vegas show, with a backing band arranged on successive levels – somewhat to the detriment of their free-flowing leader. Jay-K is constantly moving but never seems to have enough space to do his job, having to move around or bounce on screens. Every time he chats with the enthusiastic audience – including some attempts at Scottish slang – it’s as if he wishes he could get down to their side, instead of staying on stage.

Even when dealing with some vocal issues, he and his band are a very polished live show, but there’s no excitement in the polish. In the end, this is a facsimile of music with more substance: Cloud 9 aims for gospel but there’s no depth; Tallulah has elements of funk but lacks sensuality. Disco Stays the Same has none of the essential superiority of the genre it pays homage to. However, as with many legacy acts, that doesn’t matter – the audience loves these songs and will continue to love them as long as Jay Kay and his bandmates play them competently, so there’s no need to worry about converting non-believers.