10 most explosive performances in recent Later... with Jools Holland history
in 2004, playing the Hootenanny on New Year's Eve in 2006, in 2007... all huge moments that instantly put those artists on the map. And the massive moments continue today - for new and established acts. Here are appearances from the last three years that have already become career-defining...
Foals, What Went Down, September 2015
' fourth album, What Went Down, had come out a couple of weeks before they played on the opening episode of Series 47 and they'd also . They were riding the crest of a wave and stepped into Jools' studio with holy fire in their bellies. The title track of What Went Down very much went down.
Savages, Husbands, October 2012
London-based post-punk quartet had already established themselves as an exemplary live band by the time they got their chance to play on Jools, but they were still a long way off from releasing a debut album. A risky booking? Not at all. They proved they were more than capable of maintaining their intensity in a TV studio.
Skepta, Shutdown, May 2015
had been a huge figure in grime for almost a decade by the time he appeared on Jools in May 2015, at which point he was on the brink of a mainstream crossover. Buoyed by perhaps his best single ever, Shutdown, and a performance with at the Brits in February, he arrived at Later... in peak form, then seized his moment. Superb.
Royal Blood, Little Monster, April 2014
Four months before their self-titled debut album was released, Brighton two-piece played Later... and cemented their reputation as one of the best new British rock bands around. Post-Jools, they went stellar - pulling huge crowds to their gigs, scoring a No.1 album, and now they're being .
Future Islands, Seasons (Waiting On You), September 2014
Long-time fans of synth-rock trio knew that as soon as they got their moment on TV, they'd blow up. Their songs are quality, but they also have one of music's most mesmerising frontmen in Samuel T. Herring. A Letterman performance in March 2014 seduced America, and they were equally triumphant on Jools in September.
Hozier, Take Me To Church, September 2014
Okay, not an explosive performance in a rock 'n' roll sense, but certainly a performance that exploded as soon as it hit YouTube (12.7m views and counting) and contributed to the astronomical rise of the Irish singer-songwriter. This song, after all, is the title track of 's debut EP, and he also included it on his platinum-selling debut album.
St. Vincent, Digital Witness, May 2014
New York-based singer-songwriter (AKA Annie Clark) had first appeared on Jools in 2012, then very much an indie star. By the time she appeared for a second time, she was transformed into an all-out rock goddess on the cusp of something much bigger. This perfomance of Digital Witness from her self-titled fourth album was spell-binding.
Slaves, Hey, October 2014
Kent's have had such a massive 2015, it's hard to remember that back in October 2014 they were little known outside of dedicated underground rock circles. Getting on Jools was a huge achievement for the band and they rose to the challenge. They were demagogic playing Hey and, soon after, were nominated for the .
FKA twigs, Two Weeks, September 2014
A Jools appearance and simultaneous Mercury nomination truly put on the map (and her previous career as a dancer in hip hop videos behind her). Social media went into meltdown during this performance, resulting in her becoming a favourite to win the Mercury. Didn't happen, but she's nonetheless gone from strength to strength since.
Benjamin Clementine, Cornerstone, October 2013
One of the greatest Jools moments of any era, because it introduced a rare talent to so many people. Before the show started, English-French singer-poet, pianist and composer was almost completely unknown. Soon after he could count , , and most of Britain among his fans.
Related Links
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Watch classic performances from the archive
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Watch seven debut Jools performance from artists that subsequently hit the big time