MILES KANE | LIVE REVIEW
Solus, Cardiff University Students Union, Tue 25 Mar
The atmosphere pre gig was almost tense. One got the feeling that even the keenest Kane fans front and centre were not quite sure what to expect. Miles, one-time frontman of The Rascals, is quite often referred to as Alex Turner’s well-tailored friend and is also infamous in his own right for a string of very beautiful and high profile exes. Kane is usually the support act for his jamming buddies, ranging from Noel Gallagher to Beady Eye to Kasabian, and is also Alex Turner’s not-so-equal partner in The Last Shadow Puppets.
A solo Kane? What were we to expect? A very Welsh-sounding chorus of “Miiiiiiullls” erupted as an eager bunch became a little miffed at the amount of time it took Kane to take the stage. But the moment he did it seemed all was forgiven. The proof of his dedicated following is in the moshpit, even if you still wonder how many people came to this gig in the hope his bestie Alex was going to make a surprise appearance.
Kane’s on-stage persona cannot be denied: he oozes charisma and suddenly the concept of this skinny Merseyside boy with these stunning women begins to not seem so strange. He has that brooding rock star persona perfectly balanced with the cheeky chappy attitude. You can almost smell his ego but he gets away with it because being this talented is hard. Right?
Unfortunately, it just all sounds too familiar. The voice of a Gallagher and the look of a Beatle notwithstanding, musically I was left a tad unsatisfied. I did feel like I was at an Arctic Monkeys gig where they refused to play the hits. Kane seems to have all the ingredients but it just didn’t seem to come to a climax.
I really didn’t want to come out of this gig feeling like I’d just witnessed a poor man’s Alex Turner on stage but unfortunately I did. Miles Kane seems to be going down the right road but he’s not quite there yet. He has the talent, the vocals, the custom-tailored wardrobe, the superstar girlfriends, he even has the fans; he just needs to find his own distinct sound. Or then again, maybe he doesn’t. Maybe that’s enough for some.
words DENIECE CUSACK
