Miles Kane
Miles Kane returned to Merseyside to play a special intimate set at The Zanzibar last night, Getintothis’ Lewis Ridley was one of the lucky few to squeeze in.
It’s always a special occasion when a musician used to Academy sized venues like Miles Kane announces a date in a venue like The Zanzibar.
Indeed the venue has been no stranger to such events over the years, at it’s pomp during the early 2000s when the likes of Noel Gallagher rocked up to make the venue the city’s premier.
So, upon being taken over by Scott Burgess following the sad passing of Tony Butler, it was little surprise that the new management made it clear they were keen to elevate The Zanzi back to its former glories.
Last night’s Miles Kane gig, a collaboration with Scott’s Menswear, was perhaps the first since the takeover that there was a feel of such.
Kane is no Gallagher, of course, but both as a soloist and with The Last Shadow Puppets he has experiences international success including headline slots aplenty at some of the UK’s biggest festivals.
With the added lure of “Invite Only” on the poster upon the announcement of the gig, this was always going to be one of the more notable Wednesday nights in Liverpool.
He was last seen round these parts at Skeleton Coast festival earlier this year, an exceedingly rare appearance on his native Wirral, before headlining Neighbourhood Festival in Manchester earlier this month.
Indeed, he may have crossed the Atlantic more times than the Mersey in recent years, but he was always going to be welcomed back on the cold streets of Liverpool last night with enthusiasm.
Support to open the night came from Alan McGee signings The Ilicits, who opened the show promising punk infused rock and roll.
Frontman George Richards led the charge, as the Blackburn band tore through a short set of originals, which were perhaps not the remedy for a crowd experiencing a hot fever for the act to come.
The bittersweet moment did arrive, though, when the band unleashed a faultless cover of Underworld‘s Born Slippy, note-perfect and the highlight of their short set.
Just after 9, the main man arrived through a barrage of bodies in The Zanzibar. Stepping onto the stage in personalised dungarees, he opened with latest album track Coup De Grace.
An exhibiton of his newer material followed, with LA Five Four and the inclusion of a snipper of The Fall‘s Totally Wired being a niche highlight.
We all love a free Miles Kane gig @MilesKaneMusic pic.twitter.com/1KVgRCHbW2
— Charlie (@charliebcafc_) October 30, 2019
Rearrange and Come Closer introduced old favourites either side of latest single Blame It On The Summertime, which was recieved as well as Kane may have hoped.
This is an artist that as much is beyond the need to impress such a venue, remains defiantly passionate about these sorts of events, tearing into Inhaler as if it were 2010. That’s almost 10 years ago, by the way…
“It’s seems right to finish on this one, being back in Liverpool…” Kane says, before tearing into Don’t Forget Who You Are, to conclude a short but satisfying set.
In short – Miles Kane is still up for it, and producing tunes that his fans are into, too. A job done, I’d say.
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