Miles Kane at the Roundhouse
“Give me one of those rock and roll-y ones”, Miles Kane requested mid-act. The English musician has had many identities within the industry. Since 2004, he’s been a part of groups such as The Rascals, The Little Flames, and The Jaded Hearts Club. More notably he has created alongside Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys within their band The Last Shadow Puppets, founded in 2008. From his 2010 release of “Inhaler”, he began his path as a solo artist and released his fourth album, Change the Show, earlier this year.
The last stop on this album’s current tour took place on May 31st, when Kane and his band took over the Roundhouse in London. The venue had a decent amount of room to spare at showtime, but the energy of the crowd made it feel full.
Kane and his live band combined into a six-piece act; amongst them were beaded jackets, suits, and fringe trimmings. What left the heaviest impression was the joy present in their set - along with their many interactions, I caught them sharing smiles between each other through the show. They had undeniable chemistry that translated into a very immersive and lively performance; they brought a confident demeanor to the stage that was devoid of pretentiousness.
The crowd reacted well to this stage presence, hands and arms constantly raised in engagement with the act. Fans went on each others shoulders, moshed, and sang all the lyrics back to Miles & company. I especially appreciated how engaged Miles was with the fans, pointing and singing towards them here and there for a brief serenading. He even invited a fan to join him onstage to sing “See Ya When I See Ya”.
Along with his warmth, details of Kane’s accessorizing resonated with me. I observed “Change The Show” written across his armband as well as “Miles Kane” written across his red-painted nails. The agglomeration of the attributes that make up his presence gave me a new fondness for Kane because I can say, without a doubt, that he is a rockstar. I don’t mean this in the drugs/sex cliche, more in a fact that he exudes passion, knows how to put on a great show, and makes the impression of someone who is genuinely kind. He is an evolved rockstar.
View my full gallery from Miles’s show here
The show was highlighted by echo-y, upbeat vocals as well as guitar riffs, coalescing into Kane’s blend of pop. I, oftentimes, find that certain songs resonate differently within a concert environment - for me these were the anthems “Blame It On the Summertime” and “Nothing’s Ever Gonna Be Good Enough”, which lingered after the show. The softer ballads were equally impressive; I observed groups of friends in the crowd with their arms around each other, screaming lyrics off-key.
A nice surprise was the inclusion of two The Last Shadow Puppets tracks in the set - “Aviation” and “Standing Next to Me”. As they brought his and Turner’s signature twangy-ness to life, the crowd excitedly lit up at the acknowledgement of these songs.
A heartwarming moment occurred when the catchy “la la la’s” from the chorus of 2013’s single “Don’t Forget Who You Are” were sung back from the crowd for a solid 45 seconds without any direction from the band. I was impressed by the coordination and heart within this, and it solidified the bond felt between the band and the crowd. This song was so beloved that it was later played again in the encore.
As the night concluded, Kane prefaced the ending of the show saying, “London, I’m gonna love ya and leave ya”. I found myself wondering how time had passed so quickly. I really enjoyed the band’s refreshing stage presence, and I recommend you catching Kane and this band at one of the European festivals they’ll be playing this summer.