Miles Kane treated his army of fans to a swaggering, high energy, rock n roll performance when he recently played at The Engine Rooms in Southampton, as part of his One Man Band tour following the release of his 5th album last year.

Thirteen years since his debut album Colour Of The Trap, Miles Kane continues to wow on stage with electric guitar playing, showmanship and a formidable presence that demands the attention of his baying crowd.

This evenings audience covered a hugely diverse age range, the usual faces of 30 to 40 year olds who have followed Kane from his debut album, were mixed in with much younger and older elements. The front row was filled with adoring teenage girls, complete with Arctic Monkeys tote bags and Last Shadow Puppets albums for signing. Along with an older element in the audience, showing again the far & wide reach of Kane’s music, bringing everyone together in one place. (This was also the case when I saw Miles Kane play in London 3 days later, with a grey haired gentleman, in his 60’s possibly 70’s, loving life in the mosh pit!)

Support band for this tour are The Royston Club, and I noted that some of the crowd were clearly there as much for them as they were Miles Kane, and knew all the words to every song. The songs themselves are great, the majority of which coming from their 2023 album ‘Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars’. Including their most well-known track ‘Mrs Narcissistic’.

The pre MK/warm up playlist list was clearly chosen to get the crowd into fine voice, with tracks by The Strokes and Oasis belting out before the lights drop, the screams and chants of ‘Miles, Miles, Miles fu#kin Kane’ start, and the main man struts on stage.

Kane doesn’t hang about, flying straight into ‘Troubled Son’, the opening track from last years album, which is delivered with power and ferocity. Followed by ‘Better Than That’ and ‘The Wonder’, the first three songs fly by.

Kane performs ‘One Man Band’, the title track from his 2023 album, for the crowd is if he is their saviour and guiding light. ‘Then I will take the stage, And I’ll beat the drum until the dawn, To keep the darkness from your door, ‘Cause I’m your one-man band’. His army of fans love every minute, like this song was written for each of them individually, with Kane as their messiah.

There are a number of classic tracks that Kane weaves throughout the set. Including four tracks from his debut album, ‘Inhaler’, Colour Of The Trap’, ‘Rearrange’ and ‘Come Closer’. Each one brings cheers, a sea of fist and bouncy limbs, with every word launched back at Kane. The latter concluded the main set, with Kane acting as conductor of the audience (his orchestra). As the song finishes and he signals for quiet, leaning forward, almost above the fans, before singing ‘Aahh aahh aahh aahh’ and the crowd belt back ‘Oohh oohh oohh oohh’. Over & over until the bass drum sounds and the band launch back into the song. This is epic showmanship.

Kane and his band (Liam Toon – Drums, Nathan Sudders – Bass and Ben Rose – Guitar) return to the stage for one last hurrah, with a riotous version of ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’. With the crowd again taking the role of backing vocals with Kane leading them all the way.

When I go to a Miles Kane gig, I always feel like I am part of something. It is more than a gig, and he is more than an artist. He puts on a show, every single time. With energy, passion, power, but delivered with humility and respect for his fans (so much so that I saw him twice on this tour).

Miles Kane is the man, end of.

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Words & Photos by Mark Butler