A newcomer to Jack Savoretti’s music, I was very much intrigued to catch his headline set at Westonbirt Arboretum for many reasons. It’s local to me and in a place that I adore, friends have raved about him for years and the fact that going into a show knowing little to nothing can sometimes result in an even better show than you expected.

I say newcomer but I did know one song and that was Catapult because I am a fan of the co-writer Jon Green.

The atmosphere was amazing! It always is at Forest Live but it was particularly lovely on this evening. Perhaps in part due to the fact we had a rainstorm earlier and all signs of it returning seemed to have faded.

A range of all ages, picnic chairs and blankets were set up and people were with friends and family ready for a wonderful evening! Hardcore fans at the front, nowhere was crowded or a bad view!

Savoretti and his band entered the stage to a huge roar from the crowd and the atmosphere was even more alive!

Not knowing the tracks, I believe We Are Bound was played first. An energetic start, the band played flawlessly and with just a few notes in, we knew we were in for a great evening! This song was a great way to start the show and it soared throughout the Arboretum swiftly and was the perfect “outdoors on a summer evening” song as much of the set was.

A surprise was seeing The Wandering Hearts up there joining him as backing vocalists. If you aren’t familiar with The Wandering Hearts then we recommend getting familiar. Friends to us here at BOON from the beginning of their career, Aj, Chess and Tara are three of the humblest people you will meet in the industry. Harmonies that are heavenly, if you love great vocals and folk/Americana music, then please check them out!

The level of professionalism on stage was awe inspiring. Savoretti’s stage presence and crowd interaction was warming and he kept saying how grateful he was and that he previously took things for granted.

I believe Only You was next. These songs I have worked out from writing down the song lyrics as he sang them! Happy to be challenged on anything!

Too Much History followed with a sweet crowd sing-a-long moment and Savoretti created a vibe that made us all feel we were watching a friend. I weirdly felt proud of him and this was my first ever encounter of his music. I guess that comes down to his natural appeal!

What More Can I Do? was next. An infectious song melodically, the instrumentation during this song and many, if not all, was just deliciously emotive!

A cover intro of Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) brought a high energy to the crowd. That song live with all those musicians was electrifying and the song flowed beautifully into the song Candlelight.

He dedicated the next song to the audience and mentioned again how he used to take his career for granted. Playing Greatest Mistake, towards the end he explained that his 12 year old daughter helped him write the lyrics and that we were all singing along to her words.

A stunning piano segment went into the song Breaking the Rules.

“This is a song that I wrote when a friend told me romance was dead” explains Savoretti before performing The Way You Said Goodbye.

Tie Me Down was a highly memorable moment especially with the vocal assistance from The Wandering Hearts. If you love this song then you will love The Wandering Hearts music! This song was just insane live, my goodness every note played and sung was just a wonderful feeling!

Written In Scars was another great track with a lot of beautiful guitar playing. I love the attention to detail in each and every one of his songs. Each track is beautifully crafted and translate very well in a live setting as if they were made purposefully for these outdoors performances, perhaps they were!

Knock Knock stood out to me too. A catchy tune that vibed off the crowd, it was a fun engaging moment!

The last track we heard was Who’s Hurting Who before we had to sadly leave so we are unsure on what he closed with or whether there was an encore. We welcome any help here!

A gorgeous early summer’s evening in the most beautiful setting, Savoretti’s music suited this atmosphere so well and the help from an exceptional band of musicians and heavenly harmonies from The Wandering Hearts, you simply could not fault the performance.

The show had something for everyone; Jazz, Funk, Soul, Americana and more and was one of those shows that was thoroughly enjoyable whether you were at the front standing or tucked away at the back in a chair and just taking it all in.

I must also mention the sound and the lighting throughout the entire set was brilliant so well done to the entire team!

Jack Savoretti, a new fan has been gained here!