BRIT award winner James Bay to headline Esquires as part of intimate venue tour

BRIT award winner and multi-platinum selling singer songwriter James Bay will headline Esquires in January as part of his Independent Venue Week tour.

The Hertfordshire-born musician is playing a series of gigs across the UK, returning to some of the stages he played on at the very start of his career.

He will headline the Bedford venue on Friday, January 28, and tickets for the gig go on sale this Friday.

Writing on his social media channels today, he said: “This summer, for the first time since September 2019 I finally got to play live to my fans again. “They were intimate shows to just a few hundred people.

“But, they were of course so, so special. It was just me, a microphone and my guitar, nothing else onstage and although I can’t wait to go back out with the band and make a racket, those shows in the summer really got to me.

“They reminded me of how I got started, performing in small independently run venues. They reminded me why I love to do what I do.

“So, I decided I’ll start 2022 with a tour of the same kind of shows.

“I cannot wait for this special little tour and I hope to see as many of you there as possible.”

Bay’s first album Chaos and the Calm debuted at number 1 in the Official UK Albums Chart, earning him three Grammy nominations and its follow up, Electric Light reached number two.

A third album is currently in the works, songs from which will be featured at his Esquires show.

While venues were closed during the coronavirus lockdowns last year, Bay took part in the Save The Venues campaign which were livestreamed.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, December 3 at 10am via www.seetickets.com/event/james-bay/bedford-esquires/2156560, cost £20 before fees and are limited to four per person.