A legend in leopard print – Magic Miles Kane at Albert Hall, Manchester | Gig Review

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Miles Kane Albert Hall gig review

There’s something poetic about seeing Miles Kane perform in a venue like the Albert Hall.

Beneath the stained glass and towering arches, he felt less like a veteran gigger and more like the high priest of British indie showstoppers – sharp-suited and equipped with what appeared to be custom, heeled adidas three stripes with a fully leopard print set to match. Carpeted floor, drum kit and all. 

You can tell from the outset that, city rivalries aside, the scouser is adored by his Mancunian fanbase. His opening track, ‘Electric Flower’ – taken from his latest album, Sunlight in the Shadows – made for the perfect start.

Kane emerged to a roar. The track’s shimmering melodic edge got the two-tiered crowd quickly accustomed to Kane’s newest style of sound, and things kicked on easily from there.

It was a confident opener (not a greatest hit in my humble opinion, but a statement) before snapping straight into ‘Rearrange’: more familiar territory for most, which sent the floor bouncing within minutes.

From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour of Kane’s career, past and present blending seamlessly.

‘Troubled Son’ and ‘The Wonder’ leaned into his grittier side, while ‘Without You’ felt inspired by a similar jangly riff of ‘Long Cool Woman’ by The Hollies, famously setting the rhythm to a particular Britpop classic. If you don’t know already, look it up!

By the time ‘Coming Down the Road’ and ‘Love Is Cruel’ rolled around, Albert Hall was fully warmed up — and personally won me over on the new album with the latter.

It carries a softness that you don’t tend to expect with a Miles Kane track, but maybe that comes with a creative maturity approaching your 40s (sorry, mate).

Regardless, Kane stalked the stage with trademark swagger, feeding off the crowd and grinning like a man who knows he’s exactly where he belongs and continues to do so.

Then came one of the night’s first real eruptions…

Credit: Audio North

Ahead of the show, ‘Inhaler’ was one of my most anticipated listens. It hits like a shot of adrenaline from the opening chord, and the crowd sing every word back at him as if it were 2011 all over again. If you’re a Miles Kane fan, my money is on ‘Inhaler’ being high up your list.

‘Blue Skies’ followed, which shone a spotlight on not only the vocals but the complete shredding from the rhythm guitarist in the final breakdown. Having stood in the top tier of the Albert Hall, I got a prime view of the audible freedom he had to play with!

Mid-set, Kane doubled down on newer material with ‘One Man Band’ and ‘I Pray’, both sounding huge live – proof that his recent output more than holds its own alongside the classics.

The emotional heart of the night arrived with my favourite, ‘Colour of the Trap’. This track has been etched onto my playlist for longer than I care to mention. You felt it coming. The room softened, phones lit up, and for a few minutes, Albert Hall felt like a shared memory rather than a venue.

It’s almost as if he didn’t want it to end himself, with an echoing chorus of la la la la going on for a good few minutes after the band’s final instrumental chime. ‘My Love’ and ‘Walk on the Ocean’ kept that reflective mood rolling before ‘Better Than That’ nudged the energy back upwards.

From there, it was full throttle. ‘Coup de Grace’ and ‘Never Taking Me Alive’ were delivered with venom and volume. Straight from his 2018 catalogue felt like one for the dads, or at least it resonated with the 50-year-old bloke pointing his fist in the air with one hand and holding a double pint in the other. Legend.

As the main set drew to a close, ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ fittingly carried us into the encore — defiant, anthemic, and shouted back word-for-word by a crowd that had been banging this tune out long before they heard it on FIFA 14 (like me).

It was exactly the type of tune that made me whip my phone out and record it for the boys, saying, ‘remember this one?!’, to a chorus of thumbs up in the group chat. And when I mention the encore, it didn’t mess about.

Kane and the band picked up where they left us with a high intensity ending to ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ before the title track, ‘Sunlight in the Shadows’, gave the tour its emotional centrepiece: rich, expansive, and glimmering amongst camera flashes between bums on shoulders.

And then, the inevitable closer. By far his biggest song, if Spotify streaming numbers are anything to go by, ‘Come Closer’ sent Albert Hall into one final frenzy.

We saw bass guitarist Nathan get his special birthday moment when Miles and the band brought on a chocolate cake to celebrate, blowing out the candles – mid belter. Just ending the night on a euphoric high that left smiles plastered across sweaty faces.

Miles Kane at Albert Hall wasn’t just another date on the tour calendar. It was a reminder of just how deep his catalogue runs, how legendary in the indie rock game he is, and how effortlessly he can still command a Manchester crowd despite hailing from Merseyside. We don’t mind them, really!

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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