The Black Heart hosted the penultimate show on the tour for James Bruner on a rainy Thursday evening, and the Camden venue was the perfect place to get up close to the sweat and swagger of James and his band as they punched their way through a set of old school hard-edged rock ‘n’ roll with a youthful verve. These headline shows were squeezed in alongside a successful support slot with Orianthi, as Bruner continues to bring his infectious energy across the pond.
James Bruner
The Black Heart, Camden – 5 February 2026
Words And Photography: Steve Ritchie
MetalTalk first came across James Bruner in October 2024, supporting The Struts at the Roundhouse. “I’m privileged to have toured with a lot of the bands that you have over here,” James told MetalTalk. “You mentioned the Struts, and then I believe you also caught me at The 100 Club with Those Damn Crows, and man, what a historic venue. I’d say that the UK are definitely on my team and on my side.”
With Those Damn Crows, James also got to play in Europe. “So fun,” he smiles. “I love, love, love Germany.”
At a time when it is increasingly hard to get your music heard, these tours have “absolutely” helped. “When I come across a support slot or even the shows that we’ve been doing where it’s just me and the band, no matter what, when you’re playing live, you have that bunch of people that take away what you’re putting down. Because live performance, people are still interested in it, and I think it’ll never die.”
The tour with Orianthi was a success. “Lovely, very, very fun. We played The Brook in Southampton, which was the final show with her, and that was a favourite of mine.”
This tour was met with excitement at MetalTalk, as it saw team member Shannon Wilk on stage in her first visit to the UK. “It’s my first time on this side of the world,” Shannon said, “and it’s been a blast, even though your weather is questionable.”
Joined by drummer Sam Jenkins and the excellent guitarist Zach Mears, this is not a band that lacks confidence, and for James, that is a very important fact. “It’s everything,” he says. “I mean the vibe on stage. You look at me and Shannon right now. This is just us. How we are. I think having charisma with my band on stage is everything. It brings the production together. There’s swagger, there’s energy being thrown back and forth that sometimes it takes years to find. I’m very, very privileged and very, very stoked that I found it.”
The MetalTalk reviews have been penned by different people, but they have all been complimentary. Each has enjoyed the show. Is there a similar reaction in America?
“Yes,” James says. “I need to get home and tour a little bit on my home turf. My first kind of bigger tour that I had was with Barns Courtney and Yannika in the States. It was awesome and I’ve just been fortunate to be over here more.”
For Shannon, this tour is special. “It’s like the project I’ve wanted to be part of since I started this,” she says, having relocated to Nashville a couple of years ago. “I mean, getting to tour over here has been like nothing but a dream, honestly.
“The move to Nashville has been amazing. I’ve met some of my closest friends and the most amazing people. I could not be happier, truthfully.”
Favourite city? “I really loved Glasgow,” she says. “I wish I got to see more of it, but London has been fun.”
Having stood in the photo pit and written gig reviews for MetalTalk, it is clear where her destiny lies. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” she says. “Being on stage. As much as I love being behind a camera or writing about bands, this is what I’ve always wanted.”
The tour with Oriianthi has seen James Bruner on some impressive stages. He says the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire is up there with the best. “The Roundhouse, man, nothing compares to that one because it’s like a small venue but also feels like an arena because of how high the ceiling is.”
It always looks like a great stage to play. “It’s way bigger than it looks,” James says. “When I went up the stairs on The Struts tour, I would start those shows with just me and my guitar. I kind of went balls to the wall, ran up on that stage with my guitar in my hand, started by myself until the band kicked me in. What was going through my head mainly was, man, this stage is way longer than I ever could have imagined. It was so great to just have a long stage, have a sea of people there waiting. It was nothing short of an amazing time.”
The Black Heart crowd tonight loved the tracks played from The Otherside. The EP has been a streaming success, but tonight, with a longer set, we get to hear some of the newer music being road-tested.
Better Days and Switchblade open the set to a terrific reception. Third song in, Can’t Keep Wanting You, is one of the newer songs and gets the place rocking. There are hands in the air as the intro punches out, and this track showcases the skills of guitarist Zach Mears.
This is no Nashville blues, mind you. Shannon drives the bassline in style, while drummer Sam Jenkins holds it together, moving to its pulsating finish. Can’t Keep Wanting You will be released as a single soon, and is certainly worth checking out.
The new material will lead to an album, though there is still work to do. “Definitely an album in the next year,” James says. “While I love writing on the road, sometimes I get a little sidetracked because I think it’s powerful that me and my band are with each other all the time. We still choose to hang out with each other because I think we lift each other up. That’s been more of my attention on the road, having amazing times with my band. But nevertheless, a lot of new music has been written, and a lot of new music is coming.”
Redline is great, underpinned by that solid rhythm section. There is a great chorus that comes across well live, and Shannon jumps with a big smile in the middle. Another great solo leads to a punky-edged finish with whistles from the crowd and a shared energy with the band.
Kick In The Teeth is another new one, with a great riff and solo. Without the big stage, there is more focus on rocking out, and James Bruner and Co do this well. Finishing with big cheers, there is a real focus to this song.
OMG is sucked up by the crowd, who love the funky bass line and buzzing guitar. It is great how they respond in this compact venue. Which I Could Stay has a great guitar intro, where James asks us, “How are you doing?” Twice. It is a complex piece, a builder with a fantastic mid-set mind fuck. The effects on the guitars and drum accompaniment are beautifully weird.
Then we get that solo. Melodic and slow, the band builds to the finale. How do you finish that? With arms in the air.
The set builds and builds, climaxing in I Get Everything. This is a great blues rocker and gives James the chance to introduce the band. There is a difference between a support slot and a headline slot like this. Can James Bruner keep the attention throughout? Well, yes.
We finish on Hypnotised, and the shirt has gone. There is great guitar, and wonderful underpinning bass and hats off to the sound guy tonight as this all sounds great.
It is a big finish, and the appreciative crowd has had a blast. James said, “The only way I wanna leave the stage is drenched,” and he gets his wish. It is a youthful band, and maybe there is hope for a future with musicians who can actually play. The band leave the stage, and it is great to see people after selfies and a chat.
Tonight was the penultimate evening of the tour. “I don’t wanna leave,” James says. “I don’t wanna leave the UK. This tour has been everything I could ever ask for and more.”
We will see him back in September, although the details have still to be finalised. Tonight, James is at The Parish in Wrexham, the last chance to see him on this tour.
“I got to tour a little bit on my home turf for a bit,” James says. Then he will be back again.
