That’s curtains for the Welcome Sessions, but what a ride…

Over the past four months, when much of Australia has been deprived of live music, we’ve been stoked to be sharing the Jim Beam Welcome Sessions with you. Not only have they hit us with live music from some of our favourite acts, but they’ve elevated the performances, welcoming artists back to special venues that have meant something to their career – a satisfying double whammy.

First up we were treated to indie-pop immersiveness from Jack Garratt, who took to the stage at London’s Village Underground. Sentimentally, it was the place where he played the last show of his debut UK tour years earlier:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7v5ovdp0PQ&feature=emb_title

Then we had Fontaines D.C delivering a powerful and gritty rendition of their track ‘I Was Not Born’ at The Lexington in London’s north, which was one of the first English venues to welcome them following their move from Ireland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATXnfQC3Y1U

Chart-topping folk crooner José González lifted the lid on his then-unreleased LP Local Valley with a performance of the ‘Valle Local’ for the third session. This was recorded at Berlin’s buzzing Michelberger – a venue he’d spent countless nights at – with the background sounds of the space incorporated for additional atmosphere:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkoyuHdsF3Y&t=4s

And closing out the Jim Beam Welcome Sessions Wolf Alice took us to The Chapel, a 19th-century gothic church where lead singer Ellie Rowsell had sung in the local choir growing up. Performing ‘Lipstick on the Glass’ they capped off the sessions with a transcending rendition of the 2020 release:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkaBwQJT-2Y

Stay tuned for more from the Jim Beam Welcome Sessions in 2022!