FIVE-TIME Grammy winner Jacob Collier is coming to Glasgow on Saturday and has suggested fans may be in for a treat with a surprise cover of a Scottish hit.
The multi-instrumentalist is venturing up to Scotland as he makes his way through his 100-date world tour in support of his acclaimed Djesse album.
The 27-year-old has broken records for becoming the youngest UK artist to have won Grammys for each of his first four albums.
It’s been a while since Collier was last in Glasgow, he said, adding that it was a stand out experience – but not because of the music.
Collier told The National: “I have not been to Glasgow for some time and I actually don't think I've ever played my own show in Glasgow before.
“I did a very brief gig for the BBC there a few years ago. But this is actually my first time bringing the whole band, bringing the whole crew, and we just we can't wait.
“I have one main memory of Glasgow, which is as a 16-year-old I travelled up there with a choir I was singing in.
“And I just had this memory of doing this performance in the rehearsal. I got side-tracked by this epic stool that was creating ukuleles out of margarine containers and made a friend of mine skip the whole rehearsal to make ukuleles from Utterly Butterly containers.
“And we were in so much trouble from the from the choir leader and it was just most epic of times.”
Collier said audiences should expect to be as much a part of the show as the performing band, as the singer has been known to take on a conducting role with his fans.
The Djesse World Tour is aflame and it’s the greatest feeling in the world. pic.twitter.com/SROSEWXYSc
— Jacob Collier (@jacobcollier) April 5, 2022
He said: “I suppose the main thing about the concert is it's all about the audience. It's not really about the band.
“I mean, there are six of us on stage and we're playing all sorts of music, and travelling through many, many different genres and different sound worlds and playing 100 different musical instruments at once, but the show is kind of all about the crowd.
“And I just I really enjoy getting the crowd to sing, and to stamp and clap and play as well because I think that it feels like a real exchange in that way.
“We obviously play a whole bunch of songs but you know, there's a lot of crowd participation, which for me, just keeps me on my toes because it's new every single concert.
“There's just a lot of singing, a lot of chords and harmony and things like that, but it's quite a joyous occasion, man, especially after Covid, after all of us in isolation, for both band and audience alike.
“It just feels like this massive reunion and celebration of life and music.”
Jacob Collier said he 'can't wait' to play Glasgow
The multi-instrumentalist, who has collaborated with the likes of Stormzy and Cold Play’s Chris Martin, released a brand new song, featuring John Mayer, on Friday. Collier said it’s been a long time coming.
“I kept forgetting this was coming out,” he said. “It’s super exciting. The song's called Never Going To Be Alone and it features two really dear friends of mine, Lizzie McAlpine, who's an incredible singer, and John Mayer, who doesn't need to be announced because he's just epic and a massive legend.
“And it's a song that I wrote in the depths of lockdown last year and I can't believe it's coming out, it’s super exciting. I haven't released any music for about 18 months so this is awfully exciting. And yeah, I maybe will play it in Glasgow.”
Collier said he made a pact to play a different song each show, usually a cover, and that he was still considering what would be the best choice for his Scottish date.
He said: “I’m figuring out what a really good choice for Scotland would be for the Glasgow show, something super, super Scottish.
“It could be anything from a folk song to a tune that's from the area or just a song that people really like.”
Recommended he sing Caledonia by Dougie MacLean, Collier hummed it before declaring “I love that one. Wicked.”
Collier is set to perform at the O2 Academy in Glasgow on Saturday before heading south of the Border to take on two sold-out shows at London’s 02 Academy in Brixton.
