LATER...with Jools Holland (Series 33, Show 1)

The end of the Live From Abbey Road series has coincided neatly with the start of the new series of LATER...with Jools Holland. And what a start to the series it is! A hugely varied and interesting show with the mighty Metallica and France's first lady Carla Bruni, one of my least favourite bands Kings Of Leon and rising star Nicole Atkins.





Friday set:

• Kings Of Leon - Sex Of Fire
• V. V. Brown - Crying Blood
• Nicole Atkins - The Way It Is
• Carla Bruni (Chat and duet with JH at the piano)
• Metallica - Cyanide
• Carla Bruni - L'amoureuse
• Sway - Say It Twice
• Kings Of Leon - On Call
• Lars Ulrich (Chat with JH)
• Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight
• Carla Bruni - Tu Es Ma Came
• V. V. Brown - Bottles
• Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
• Metallica - Enter Sandman

Tuesday (Live) highlights

• Sway with Lemar - Saturday Night Hustle
• Tribute To Richard Wright
• Metallica - The Day That Never Comes

It was a strange set order for the Friday show this week. I can see why but as Metallica got the biggest cheer and they dominated the intro music (always performed by the artists as they are introduced), the fact that the band did not open the show was a missed opportunity. They did close both shows though - and in style. Instead Kings Of Leon topped the bill and performed tracks from their new album: Sex of Fire and Use Somebody plus On Call from their previous record. They are a band I still do not get. At least singer Caleb no longer sounds like Cartman from South Park (most of the time) and this music seems to be their best since Molly's Chambers (the only decent song from their weak debut). The highlight is Use Somebody which has a very British Sea Power feel about it with some great vocals.

The big star of the show was definitely Carla Bruni - a huge scoop for JH and the show. After a chat about influences (Dylan and Bessy Smith), and some praise from Jools for her record sales pre-fame from being French first lady, it didn't take him long to get behind the piano for a duet of Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out. Her English singing voice is genuinely good. She performed two French songs from her new album: L'amoureuse and the sexy Tu Es Ma Came (You Are My Drug). It was all typically evocative and is exactly what you would expect but also very simple and elegant. Some great acoustic guitars.




For me (and it will come as no surprise) Metallica stole the show but it all felt like a bit of a novelty act - like those middle-of-the-road loving mainstream DJs who claim to like heavy rock and metal and then play some clichéd AC/DC or Iron Maiden before going back to the safty of The Feeling and The Hoosiers. Anyway, for me they were immense on the Friday with Cyanide and then closing proceedings with Enter Sandman, complete with new start and big ending. On the Tuesday they had to wait until the end to close out with The Day That Never Comes which was a slightly uneasy mix of loud and quiet, with a few dodgy moments, and a huge instrumental ending. Lars took some time to chat with Jools about keeping the band's Grammys in his attic and the time he came to the UK to see his favourite band (at the time) Diamondhead while living in the US. They were the main inspiration for Metallica and he slept on the lead singer's couch for a few months.

A big surprise was Nicole Atkins, a singer from New Jersey. She only had two songs and started with impressive The Way It Is. Her big single Maybe Tonight is currently doing the rounds and she sounds like a more enthused Sophie Ellis-Bexter. She always looks lost in her own world. Thankfully another new singer V. V. Brown only had two songs. Her first, Crying Blood (which contains the classic line: "tears from my eyes..." repeated ad nausem - where else could she be crying from?) is insane, her vocals all over the place in the pursuit of trying to sound a bit different. I have no idea when she breathes. Her second offering Bottles was truly awful.

After the Tuesday performance from MOBO star Sway with Lemar (Saturday Night Hustle) I was expecting more of the same rubbish from the self proclaimed best British rapper. But his centre piece on Friday's show Say It Twice was really great. He walked around the studio and managed to namedrop everyone while freestyling. I was unsure if he said 'shout out to Metallica' or told them to 'shut up'. I think it must have been the former. He was arrogant and full of himself but extremely confident and genuinely good. It's a shame that the Tuesday performance was so lame.

A great start to the best music show on television. And next week is (the award winning) Elbow!