Live Review: Miles Kane at Fred Perry

Anticipations ran high as the doors of Fred Perry opened: after hours of queuing in the freezing cold, this was the moment we had all been waiting for. As Miles Kane sauntered across the street in style in his iconic red leather jacket, he was greeted by an uproar cheering.

I rushed into the front and could see many fans turned away as the shop hit capacity in seconds. I could feel the energy coursing through the room as Miles Kane sat on a stool on the steps and adjusted his acoustic guitar; it was an atmosphere like no other.

The crowd called for him to stand up so they could catch a better glimpse of the highly anticipated performance. This was the second of just four of the acoustic gigs lined up in Fred Perry shops across the UK to celebrate the launch of his new clothing range, and it was an honour to be there. The room was bursting with excitement, and as usual, he didn’t disappoint.

There was an eruption of excitement as he burst into fan favourite ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’, his distinctive vocals paired gorgeously with the stripped back and simple sound of the acoustic guitar. This was followed by a stunning and heartfelt performance of ‘Loaded’, a slower song from his new album ‘Coup De Grace’, co-written by indie queen Lana Del Rey.

The intimacy of the gig was most prominent at this point: only meters away from Miles, I could feel the raw emotion and passion emanating from him with every chord resonating from the guitar. It was clear that the crowd enjoyed the new music as much as he enjoyed playing it.  He then treated us to a vibrant and forceful rendition of ‘rearrange’, enthusiastically inviting the audience to sing along and take over in the chorus.

Finally, the rock and roll singer finished by asking the crowd what they wanted him to play, and after a clamour of shouted requests, ended the session with ‘Standing Next To Me’. This was a tribute to his long-term best friend Alex Turner, and their band The Last Shadow Puppets, which was received with ecstatic applause from the entire crowd. He finished with a smile, looking out across the crowd of admiring fans and thanking them for watching. My only criticism was that it didn’t last long enough, and the audience were left longing for one more song as Miles put down his guitar.

After the gig, there was a meet and greet, and fans waited around the shop for an exclusive chance to get an autograph or photo with the star. He then left to prepare for the sold-out show at Manchester Academy later that evening, sure to be another huge success.

Having last watched Miles Kane headlining a festival in front of thousands, I can safely say that I much preferred the intimacy and personal atmosphere of the smaller gig compared to larger concerts. Thrilling, intimate and entertaining, it is an experience that will not be forgotten.

9/10.