MILES KANE CELEBRATES NEW ALBUM RELEASE WITH INTIMATE SHOW AT THE WARDROBE IN LEEDS

★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

MILES KANE PERFORMING AT THE WARDROBE, LEEDSPHOTOS BY : RYAN PARR — MILES KANE PERFORMING AT THE WARDROBE, LEEDS
PHOTOS BY: RYAN PARR

Miles Kane is touring the UK just now in support of his new album, coming out this October, ‘Sunlight in the Shadows’. This show at the Wardrobe was the earliest start I’ve experienced in a while, Miles coming on stage at 7.50 and consisted of a number of songs from the new album and some classics from Miles back catalogue.

I don’t know if the show was a sell out but it certainly felt like it, the crowd were packed in, the anticipation in the queue to get in was palpable and there was a general buzz in the venue that showed this was a crowd who were well up for it.

Miles appeared on the stage on his own with an acoustic guitar, looking very cool with his shades on and explained that it would just be him, that he would play some well known songs but he was going to play a lot of new songs as he is very clearly excited by this new album.

What came across very strongly, which sometimes gets lost when he’s with his full band, is just how good a singer Miles is, this acoustic set really suited him. Having just the guitar and his voice surprisingly filled the venue and overpowered the noise from the few idiots talking during his performance.

To be fair they were very much in the minority with the vast majority of the crowd singing along both to the well known songs and quite quickly learning the lyrics to some of the new songs. Miles did encourage everyone to join in with the new material which sounds incredibly strong, it’s understandable why he’s excited by this album, if the songs that weren’t played are as good as the ones that were then it’s going to be an excellent album, expect a review soon in SpinVybe!

Miles Kane used this album launch tour to freshen up his setlist with some notable firsts. Fans were treated to the live tour debuts of ‘Troubled Son’ and the Last Shadow Puppets favorite ‘Standing Next to Me’, a song that carries extra weight given its history with Kane’s long-time collaborator Alex Turner. The real surprise of the night, however, was ‘Coming Down the Road’, which appeared to receive its full live debut — a moment that gave the show an added sense of occasion and underlined Kane’s willingness to keep evolving his performances.

So why not five out of five - one simple reason, and I know this was always going to be the case but I’m unreasonable - I want more, the gig was simply too short. At about 45 minutes and 12 songs it felt like Miles was just getting started, as was the crowd, and in a flash it seemed, he was gone.

This wasn’t my first time seeing him and I just wanted the show to go on a bit longer, maybe another 3 or 4 songs. Kane remains a commanding live performer, and this tour is proof that he’s operating at his very best. The new material stands tall alongside his classics, delivered with the energy and polish of an artist fully in his stride. If you haven’t secured tickets yet, this run is worth the effort — it’s a chance to see Kane in peak form. And while his full-band power is undeniable, the glimpses of stripped-back moments suggest an acoustic section could be a rewarding addition on future tours.