REVIEW: Brilliant Miles Kane rocks the Roadmender

Miles Kane is a man of his word...
Miles Kane was in great form at the Roadmender on Friday night (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)Miles Kane was in great form at the Roadmender on Friday night (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)
Miles Kane was in great form at the Roadmender on Friday night (Picture: Lauren Dukoff)

Prior to his gig at the Roadmender on Friday night, he said it would be ' upbeat, high energy, sweaty and blow your socks off'.

Well, it was upbeat, it was high energy, it was sweaty, and I'm still trying to find my socks!

Kane also managed to lose his shirt along the way, it was that kind of night.

It was hot and humid outside, and the Roadmender was pretty toasty inside too as it was packed to the rafters for Kane's first trip back to the venue for five years.

The 32-year-old has been busy recently being one half of The Last Shadow Puppets alongside his old pal Alex Turner, but he is now out on his own again, and touring to promote his forthcoming new album, Coup De Grace.

A clutch of new songs would be aired at Lady's Lane, but Kane kicks the night off with a quartet of old favourites from his previous solo offerings, The Colour Of The Trap and Don't Forget Who You Are.

There's no messing about and no introductions as he opens with Counting Down The Days, the fierce Inhaler, and the brilliant and stomping Taking Over and Better Than That.

A crowd that was wide in age range, with teenagers mixing in with 50-somethings, was hooked from the first note, as Kane and his superb new band started off running and, for more or less the whole gig, kept on sprinting!

After that blistering opening salvo, a fired-up Kane asked: "How are we feeling Northampton? Feels good to be back," before launching into excellent new song Loaded, which if anything is enhanced when heard live.

Kane has put together a new band for this tour, only getting together a matter of weeks ago, but you would think they have been together for years such is the quality of performance.

A brief delay for a technical problem gives everybody a chance to catch their breath, with Kane adding: "When we get it sorted we'll crack on - we've got all night!"

And when the problem is sorted, crack on they do with the menacing Kingcrawler followed by another new song called Too Little Too Late.

In his interview with the Chron prior to the gig, Kane spoke of his new songs having a punky feel to them, and Too Little Too Late has a real punk edge, starting at 100mph and never letting up.

The equally powerful Give Up follows before the pace drops a fraction for My Fantasy, but it is only a short lull before another of Kane's influences, Glam Rock, comes to the fore and etched all over Cry On My Guitar, which already has the feel of a Kane live classic.

It's Friday night, and the exuberant crowd are lapping every song with big enthusiasm, which reaches new levels for the fantastic Rearrange - Kane conducting the raucous singalong.

Once again the tempo is slowed as Colour Of The Trap gets an airing, but it is just the calm before the storm of the closing four songs, which nearly see the roof come off the Roadmender.

Another new song called Cold Lights Of Day gets things going - all of the new songs sound fantastic on first hearing - before the impossibly catchy earworm of Don't Forget Who You Are has everybody 'la, la, la-ing' at the top of their voices!!

The new album's title track, Coup De Grace, with it's throbbing bassline is next, with somebody at this point losing their shoe, never mind their socks.

The Nike trainer detached from its owner finds its way on to the stage, before being returned to the crowd by Kane, who was clearly having a great time.

He ditches the guitar as the band plays on and gets up close and personal with the crowd as he goes down to embrace his fans at the front - and they clearly grab hold of a little more than they should as when Kane gets back on stage, his shirt is wide open, buttons gone.

Kane decides it's time to get rid, so the shirt comes off as he screams out: "Come on Northampton, are we having it or what?," and launches into the final song of the 16-song set, the crackling Come Closer.

Cue another enthusiastic singalong, before Kane exits the stage to tumultuous applause.

This was a great gig, and Kane was again on top form.

I for one cannot wait to hear his new album which is due out later this year, and I recommend anybody who has not seen this fantastic live performer to do so if you get the chance.

You will not be disappointed.

Miles Kane setlist, Northampton Roadmender, Friday, June 1: Counting Down The Days, Inhaler, Taking Over, Better Than That, Loaded, Kingcrawler, Too Little Too Late, Give Up, My Fantasy, Cry On My Guitar, Rarrange, Colour Of The Trap, Cold Lights Of Day, Don't Forget Who You Are, Coup De Grace, Come Closer

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