10 iconic Jamiroquai moments

Taking a look back at Jamiroquai's lengthy career, it’s kind of amazing that a band with such inoffensive music has split opinion so often. Either derided as background tunes with no substance, or loved by fans for their blue-eyed soul grooves, their rise from the acid-jazz fusion of the early 90s to become disco-throwback powerhouses has never been uneventful thanks to charismatic leader Jay Kay.

Having experienced their most prolific period around the turn of the millennium, there is finally new Jamiroquai on the way. New album 'Automaton' ends seven years of inactivity and there's even a new tour and new headgear to go with it.

Ahead of their sold out show at The Roundhouse in London on March 31, we take a look back at their most iconic moments.

Easily the biggest moment in Jamiroquai’s history, it broke a couple earthy jazz-funk enthusiasts in the United States and left many living rooms overturned as people tried to recreate the physics-defying video. 20 years later, people still don’t know how the mind-blowing visuals were achieved. So much so, that director Jonathan Glazer said if he had a pound for every time he’d been asked then he’d be a millionaire (which we think he is anyway). After all, it was made at a time when computer-generated effects weren’t particularly subtle so you know it isn't faked. But thanks to Jay Kay’s twinkle-toes and some impressive behind-the-scenes work, the video came out smooth as velvet.

The didgeridoo doesn’t exactly scream disco inferno. It’s actually an extremely difficult instrument to play and emits a drone sound, excellent for some things but it doesn’t quite bring the funk. However, in their early fusion days, Jamiroquai said fuck it, and went all in on the 1500-year old instrument. ‘What You Gonna Learn’ to ‘Didgin Out’, the opener on 'Emergency On Planet Earth' the opener, features Wallis Buchanan’s talents and boy did he make that instrument pop on the live circuit as evidenced above.

Speaking of that debut album, a lot of people say Jay Kay’s lyrics don’t make sense, that it’s all nonsensical drivel about cosmic girls and fast cars. But look a little closer and you’ll see themes of war, world poverty and climate change. From the title track of their debut: “And a little boy in hungry land, is just a picture in the news, won't see him in that TV advertising, 'cause it might put you off your food’. I mean, shit, you feel that one in the heart right? And don’t let the fact he owns about 1300 cars put you off either, like he says, he can only drive one at a time.

Remember the halcyon days of Top Gear when it was still three man-children messing about in cars for an hour every Sunday? In those heady times, Jay Kay was king of the show. Like he says in the above video, it has nothing to do with the music and there are more important things going on in the world. But having his honeyed vocals and the ‘silly’ hats that come with it at the top of the Fastest Star In A Reasonably Priced Car leaderboard was satisfying. Mainly because it meant Simon Cowell, the guy who introduced One Direction to the world, wasn't.

Instant cult classic Napolean Dynamite captured the imagination of teens like nothing else when it came out in 2004. For a generation of filmgoers, Vote For Pedro t-shirts are not a thing of the past and “tots” are still a substantial meal. But its most iconic scene comes when Napolean performs at his school’s talent show to Jamiroquai’s certified banger ‘Canned Heat’. Just watch it right through and try to not crack a smile.

There's no denying over-indulgence is a big part of Jay Kay's shtick. The headdresses, the private jets and the Buckingham mansion. He's lived nearly every rockstar cliche under the sun but having experienced homelessness before striking gold with his music, he's allowed a little excess isn't he? Well, when he dropped a cool £1m on a green Ferrari he was doing just that. But that is the essence of Jamiroquai isn't it? They're a band that brought full string sections back into the mainstream and regularly draw inspiration from the over-the-top days of Studio 54. That's what makes this moment iconic.

As one of the most unexpected fashion icons in the business and beyond, Jay Kay’s hats are stuff of urban legend. From his infamous addition in the 'Virtual Insanity' video, (a style seen since on the likes of Pharrell Williams and the catwalks) to this weapon-like headpiece. Sharp, absurd and, above all completely recognisable. It is clear to see just how, and why, hats have become a trademark for the band.

A reflective moment in their career. Stepping out of the studio to explore the influences that shaped their sound, ‘Late Night Tales’ was a compilation album divulging into many of Jay Kay’s musical inspirations. From disco through to soul and funk, the likes of Marvin Gaye and Dexter Wansel can be heard on the record. On Leon Ware’s ‘What’s Your Name’, Jay Kay says: "Lyrically, it’s so summer, so light, and it just gets me so excited listening to tracks like these."

Name a more iconic musical logo (apart from Aphex). We'll wait.

A headline we're sure many thought they would never see again. After first shocking fans this January with news of their upcoming comeback album, ‘Automaton’, tickets for their Roundhouse show sold out in less than a minute. For a group that hasn't released music in seven years, it just proves just how truly iconic they are. In the words of The Black Madonna:

[Main photo credit: Eddie Monsoon]