As we here in Manila go gaga over the highly anticipated concert by U2 from Dublin, Ireland, let’s be reminded that the place where Bono and the boys came from is also hometown to other notable artists like Westlife, Sinead O’ Connor, Boomtown Rats, and the late Stephen Gately of Boyzone fame.
Another guy from Dublin, probably not that notable but definitely noteworthy, is landing in Manila two months ahead of U2. For some people, he already landed a good spot in the field of dreams. In fact, his Spotify streams have already reached 250 million.
His name: Gavin James.
I won’t be surprised if you wonder who he is. We Pinoys in general qualify one as famous when already a household name. Maybe it’s the result of being an ever-struggling race that many of us are not keen on digging real deep head-on before judging an act. Since it’s easier to bet on someone undeniably popular, a great artist may not be quickly worthy of Filipino attention unless he or she becomes a hot topic in social media circles.
Thus, it should make sense that a foreign act is scrutinized by how he is in the global picture, especially when Filipino fans have yet to get into the frame.
Gavin, 28, already opened for Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith. He had guest appearances on talk shows featuring hosts James Corden and Jimmy Kimmel. Corden described him to his 10 million followers as “a new artist with a voice and talent that stop you in your tracks.”
Then there’s the nod from K-pop idol Jimin who did a live video of his song “Nervous” that earned three million views. The BTS Army immediately expressed interest to follow him and put his songs on their playlists.
Now, this Dublin dude has two albums to boot, namely, 2016’s Bitter Pill and last year’s Only Ticket Home. His latest song is called “Faces” and his Spotify monthly listeners currently count at more than 7 million and 240 thousand.
Come Oct. 4, he will perform at the New Frontier Theater in Araneta Center, Quezon City for his first concert in Asia. Filipino concertgoers who will be on hand to see him perform live in person may take pride in answering the ‘were you there at Gavin James concert’ question when such thing eventually pops up in local music fan chat.
Be among them for this man is the type of a voice that can capture a large crowd with just a guitar accompaniment. It’s a voice easily strong to lift a good song to higher grounds by sheer strength and emotional push.
His single “Always” touches on a topic Filipinos find cinematic and relatable. Gavin relates, “It’s about ending a relationship and immediately regretting it.”
That being said, looking closely into his talent showcase is anything but regrettable.
(Tickets to Gavin James concert in Manila are available at www.ticketnet.com.ph).