Miles Kane has just announced a massive UK and European tour and has listed a healthy number of Northern dates for us to enjoy.
TOP la’.
The Merseyside musician recently released his latest album, Sunlight In The Shadows, and it’s gone down a treat with fans a critics alike; you can consider our Audio North firmly in the camp, too.
His sixth studio LP to date, the record was produced by the prolific Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, and sees psychedelia rolled into classic rock and more, with plenty of the usual Miles Kane swagger that we’re looking forward to hearing live.
At 39 years old – and looking incredible for it, by the way – we constantly have to remind ourselves that the Birkenhead hero is no longer the unsung underdog that we first fell in love with, but is now arguably one of the coolest and iconic artists to come out of the North West in the past decades or so.
ADVERTISEMENT
Confirming a dozen domestic dates, including one supporting Kasabian at Finnsbury Park in London next summer, Kane is due to play a total of 37 gigs across Britain and mainland Europe in 2026.
That being said, with a pair of sensational shows scheduled for Sheffield‘s Crookes Social Club alone (a cult favourite 500-cap venue), we’re hoping even more gigs will be added as we expect the demand for this tour to be just a huge as the run itself.
ADVERTISEMENT
Note there is currently no Liverpool on the list…
More cause for excitement is the fact that, as well as East Yorkshire singer-songwriter Fiona-Lee joining as the tour opener, the other main support act is Villanelle, fronted by Liam Gallagher’s son Gene.
Other chosen cities up in the best end of the country include Newcastle, Leeds, Glasgow and, of course, us lot here in Manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mancs will be treated to what we guarantee will be a sell-out show at the beloved Albert Hall on Saturday, 31st January.
UK & EU Tour 2026
Sign up to the mailing list by tomorrow, Tuesday 28th 11pm GMT for pre-sale access.
Pre-sale opens Wednesday 29th 10am GMT. General on sale Friday 31st 10am GMT.
There’s nothing like a tour announcement for next year when most of the gigs are slated for the first few months, don’t you think? Suddenly, the early but dark days of 2026 don’t sound so bad.
Speaking on the new material, he said: “All roads, over 20 years, have led here. Dan and I love mixing T. Rex, Motown and The Easybeats, and the result is this record.”
“When we were chatting and sharing references, we were so similar in taste it was frightening and you can hear that shared passion through the music. I can’t wait to take it out on the road. It’s an album that needs to be played live.”
We actually had the pleasure of chatting to Miles ahead of the upcoming UK and EU tour ourselves recently, and if you already thought the Kane clothing style was the peak of chic, you’re absolutely right – keep your eyes out for when the full interview drops soon.
ADVERTISEMENT
As for tickets to see Miles Kane on the road, fans can sign up to his mailing list by 11pm GMT this Tuesday, 28 October, for exclusive pre-sale access, which will open from 10am the following day, and you can get ready to grab general admission when they go live at the same time on Friday, 31 Oct HERE.
Featured Images – Press shots (supplied)/The Manc Group
Audio
Tame Impala at Co-op Live, Manchester – lasers, lights, and a bit of a hangover
Daisy Jackson
The coolest man in the southern hemisphere has finally made his way back up north, for his first Manchester gig in a decade.
That cool man in question is Tame Impala, the music project of what-the-hell-can’t-he-play multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker.
Sure, last year’s single release ‘Dracula’, and then its remix re-release with K-pop megastar Jennie, may have propelled Tame Impala up towards the top of the UK singles chart for the first time, but he’s got almost two decades-worth of music to dig through beyond that too.
It’s a hefty discography and it leads to a setlist that seems to almost peak about six times.
‘How could it possibly get better than this?’ we seem to ask as he plays The Moment, Elephant, Dracula, and Let It Happen pretty early on – but better it does indeed get.
It doesn’t seem to matter whether he’s up on the main space-ship-esque stage surrounded by lasers and lights, or sat on the floor of the B Stage playing around with a keyboard, Tame Impala has an irresistible, enchanting charisma. A lot more charisma that you’d expect from a man called Kevin.
Early on, he confesses that he’s quite severely hungover from last night’s show, where he had Dua Lipa (he wrote and produced her Radical Optimism album) as a surprise guest.
But you can see the hangover clear from his eyes in real time as 23,500 Mancs scream in his face. Which might not sound like a likely hangover cure, but who am I to argue with the evidence in front of me?
Although Kevin writes, produces, and records his music solo, he’s got half a dozen musicians up on the main stage with him, which looks like a convoluted space ship that fires confetti out of its thrusters (FOUR TIMES!).
With revolving lights, dancing lasers, and a metal grid base spewing out dry ice, it’s really one hell of a production.
It’s a light show designed to give us all a glimpse of his synesthesia (meaning he sees colours when he hears music (Billie Eilish has it too)) – essentially, if you couldn’t hear a thing and could only see the stage, you can still tell exactly what song is playing.
Still, when he saunters straight through the crowd to his smaller stage to mix tracks solo – no lasers, just a few lamps – flopping down onto a tangle of wires like a mad magpie building himself a nest, it’s a chance to remember this guy’s composing prowess.
A lot of the songs performed tonight are almost orchestral in their complexity, so that the whole show merges into one thundering, bewitching night of dancing and being blasted in the face by confetti.
It’s genius.
So can you not leave it another decade before you come back, Kevin?
Kahiki Soundhouse – the new Mint Lounge site is living up to the old name and its live music legacy
Danny Jones
If you went out in town back in the day (pretty much any time from the late 90s to the 2010s), or indeed have sampled a Funkdemia over the past couple of decades, chances are you tried or at least heard of Mint Lounge – but did you know it’s been replaced by a new kid on the block, Kahiki?
Kahiki Soundhouse, to give it its full name, is the new live music venue bar that has opened up the old basement space on Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter.
In truth, it’s now more of a classic lounge than ever before.
The large open-plan floor, which used to be filled with people standing/two-stepping inside a fairly barebones club room with no air conditioning, has now been traded up for a stylish space lined with plush padded seats, classy low-lit tables perfect to share a glass or two over, and lots of new features.
Perhaps the biggest change is that the old soundbooth/stage area that used to be way at the back has now been swapped for a central 360° podium that changes up each night.
It really is the star of the all-week-round Kahiki show, if you ask us.
This also means that no matter where you are in the main venue (there are other rooms, but we’ll get to that), be it tucked in a booth to the side, at the bar, or even ‘behind’ whoever’s playing, you’ll have a virtually unobstructed view of what’s happening from noon until night.
Seriously, thanks to their already jam-packed schedule, the reviews aren’t just off to a great start only a few days in, but people have been turning up in the early evening and staying well into the early hours of the next day.
They’ve got duelling pianos, live bandaoke, acoustic nights and straightforward DJ sets for those who still fancy a taste of the previous vibe.
Kahiki’s maiden Manchester city centre venue definitely harks back to the good times had in the Mint Lounge days, but the team, who possess decades of experience between them, have combined a retro feel almost more akin to 1960s speakeasies, cocktails and evening venues.
It’s no secret that clubbing and the UK nightlife scene have changed quite a bit since the pandemic, but these guys look to have found that perfect blend of more relaxed seating, along with plenty of room to get up and boogie; there’s even a raised mini-stage/dance cage for your main character moments.
Better still, if you do want something a little bit away from the crowds of punters that are continuing to make this one of the liveliest new additions to NQ, they also have adjustable karaoke rooms where bi-folding doors can make room for up to 50 of you and your lot to party in privacy.
Let’s just say the spirit of the Lounge is alive and well in the Soundhouse.
Just one corner of KahikiYour podium awaitsOne of the smaller karaoke rooms