Support band Folks got the evening started, playing a reasonably lengthy set consisting of their mod rock sounds, calm, pleasant vocals and catchy choruses. The 6-piece group went down well with the Cambridge crowd, who appreciated the unusual sound that they were displaying.

Not too long after Folks had left the stage, Miles Kane and his band took to it. The man oozed with swagger as he strolled onto the stage with his fist held triumphantly above his head, and this was before he had even started. The crowd greeted him with rapturous applause before the opening track, Better Left Invisible, began. With exciting, distorted guitar riffs, charming vocals and an active crowd that were loving every minute, the opener set the tone for the rest of the night. This was followed by Counting Down The Days, which provided the first sing a long opportunity to those of the crowd who were familiar with the entire album, which was evidently a high percentage. A slower paced song than the opener, this one had the crowd singing along, dancing and generally having a good time. Following this was the first of the singles played, Rearrange. This was one of the highlights of the evening, providing that ‘ahhh’ moment as the audience chants the opening guitar riff back to Miles, a man who displayed a master class in stage presence. As the vocals kick in, the crowd can be heard loud and clear, giving Mr Kane the confidence to allow the crowd to sing back to him, “let it out let it out, let it all out” before launching into the chorus, where he is also joined by a choir provided by the Cambridge folk.

Pic : Dominic Paver

Another highlight of the performance came in the form of Kingcrawler, a high energy, high paced tune backed by fantastic drumming, clever lyricism but yet a criminally simple chorus that the crowd love. Typical album tracks such as Happenstance and Telepathy also proved to be high points of the evening. Before Happenstance, Kane declared “this is quite a sexy song, we’ll leave it at that” and sexy it is. Despite lacking the female vocals of French actress Clémence Poésy, the song was performed admirably, the song is a catchy, slick tune, with a definite throwback to the 60’s, a song that Ray Davies would be proud to be performing. Telepathy is another track that has a certain smoothness to it, the kind of song that just makes you feel cool every time you listen to it. The set finale was another of his singles, fan favourite Come Closer. The opening of the song was met by massive cheers from the crowd, who then proceeded to sing every word with Miles. The track had the Cambridge crowd rocking and bouncing as much as it did the Reading Festival crowd the first time I saw him. The set’s encore came in the form of the first single released from the album, Inhaler. Miles was welcomed back to the stage with open arms, before launching into the track, a rock n roll classic with classy rough round the edges vocals (in a good way) and exciting guitar riffs. I can guarantee that this is the track that will be stuck in your head for days after.

Miles Kane is a genuinely nice bloke, with bags full of talent, and he knows it. He puts on a brilliant live performance with such confidence that leaves a lasting impression. I would strongly advise that if the chance comes about, you should make the effort to go and see Miles Kane live, and the album, Colour Of The Trap, also comes highly advised. Miles is set to continue recording in the coming months, as well as touring with Kasabian.

Alfi Shipp

https://www.mileskane.com/

Read Alfi's Miles Kane interview here