As my friend and I stepped into The Venue inside The Brunswick pub on Holland Road, we were instantly greeted by a cosy and warm atmosphere full of chatter and anticipation as we waited for Jesse Roper to perform.
This was Roper’s first gig in Brighton and Hove, which made it an exciting night for both the artist and his fans. I heard some Canadian accents travel through the room, which would have been a comfort for the artist in case of stage fright – he is from across the pond after all!
Talking about stage fright, we were surprised to learn that Roper, a successful, touring, talented musician did at one point suffer from fear of performing. We were lucky enough to ask Roper a few questions, so of course we had to bring this up. His answer is hopeful, especially for aspiring musicians with similar fears:
“I was a pretty nervous kid. Like most folks, I kinda want to be good at things before I’ve taken the time to get good at them. I think the old fear of failure got a hold of me and held me back. Once I broke free of that headspace I realised that which scares me often provides the most exciting experiences. Performing still kinda scares me, but I just know I’ll be higher than a kite on the good feelings come the end of the night. It’s the best.”
As The Venue started bustling more and more, we got to start on the supporting act; a local musician named Kieran Dacey. Dacey’s fun-filled performance with original songs as well as covers was heartwarming yet engaging, effortlessly eliciting laughs and applause from the audience.
Jesse Roper Live on stage in Brighton
Unlike Dacey, Roper wasn’t familiar with the audience in Hove. When asked about his feelings about being in our beloved city, and the UK audience in general, his answer was simple, “I’m very happy to be playing Brighton! I’m pumped in general to be over this side of the ocean. I’ve found UK audiences pretty similar to the ones at home. If you play good, they listen.”
And good he plays!
Roper and his whole band seemed to be on fire. He found his place within the venue and the audience instantly, taking us on a whirlwind of sounds and raw, gorgeous vocals. Each musician on stage with him was evidently dedicated to their craft, and exactly where they were supposed to be; on stage.
The energetic show and audience made me wonder, as a new fan, which Jesse Roper album I should dive into first. The artist himself thinks Horizons is his best piece of work as a whole, though there is more:
“There’s also a real excitement and energy caught in the Red Bird album though. I don’t know. One of those two. The Horizons stuff seems to be the most popular on streaming. I’ll go with that one. Cool Whip is my favourite tune.”
This gig being one I will personally definitely remember, I can’t help but to ask about the artist’s point of view; is there a memorable gig for him?
“I played a gig in Port Angeles in America years ago. I’d never been there and didn’t know what to expect. It turned out the folks who lived in that town listened to the local radio station broadcast from my home town Victoria. I got on stage to see about 1000 people in front of me. They sang all the songs and the energy in the air was electric that night. I’ll never forget it. I was kinda without words after.”
It is easy to be left without words after a Jesse Roper gig. Apparently for both the artist and the audience! Who needs words though when you’ve got standing ovations?
You can find out more about Jesse Roper here.
