Neighbourhood presents – Miles Kane at Pyramid and Parr Hall with special guests Red Rum Club, Brooke Combe and Seb Lowe Saturday 21st may 2022

 

 

WORDS BY JANET HARDING / IMAGES BY NATHAN COLE

 

‘The Band Are Bouncing All Over The Stage, Miles Is Dancing, Jumping, Throwing His Guitar About…’

 

Tonight’s is what can only be described as one legendary headline. Rescheduled from January, it’s been eagerly awaited – and the support ain’t too shabby either (just saying). At my nearest and dearest venue, the Parr Hall, Warrington, and with Miles Kane top of the bill it’s gonna be one hell of a night. It’s humid and overcast as I walk through Palmyra Square gardens and up to the venue. There’s a musical storm brewing, I can feel it, and there’s rather a large queue outside our venue already; we can feel the excitement building. Parr Hall is a great place for live music – real Victorian music hall architecture at its finest, that faded grandeur feel and great for that standing crowd experience, though lots of seating on the balcony areas. The bars are modern and sleek and very reasonable prices, bar staff were super friendly and as ever security and box office were really helpful.

 

1st Support – Seb Lowe

Seb Lowe – lead vocal/guitar

Rory Carrington – keys

 

An acoustic set is first up tonight and it’s a great opener. Politically driven themes, witty and satirical lyrics, Seb angrily strums his guitar whilst singing what could be described as cutting edge poetry, delivered with a cheeky wink and tongue in cheek. It’s a great style, fast paced, nonstop, musically very tight. Indie at its heart, but fleeting moments of electro, almost 80s sounding feels from the keys, excellently provided by Rory (Carrington) and it works so well with this overall feel. I’m getting Arctic Monkeys feels, Jamie T and Kate Nash. It blends together superbly, it’s a brilliant sound and style and it really holds our attention as a crowd – very confident performance. Between songs Seb is very witty. The singing style is mainly very fast, that crossover of talking and singing, but when necessary notes are reached and held with ease. It’s a very strong vocal, a good reach and some force in his voice. Great response from the crowd, his unique styles makes this cover of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ truly his own. A very indie, guitar driven style and the gravel tones in his voice work exceptionally for it. Original, witty material, great musicality and voice and very entertaining. Well worth checking out Seb Lowe, loved it. Thank you

 

Set List:

1/ Terms & Conditions

2/ Gods Monkeys

2/ There She Stood

4/ Upper Class

5/ Back to Black

6/ Generation Suicide

7/ iPhone

 

 

2nd Support – Brooke Combe

Hailing from Edinburgh, we have the much talked about and recently signed talent, Brooke Combe. I have no doubt she’ll become as huge as her voice already is. All smiles as she arrives on stage, it’s a full band performance and our venue is slowly being flooded with the smooth sounds of a jazz/lounge/soul feel. The vocal is pure powerhouse – loud, strong and full, smooth and rich, like caramel – it’s a stunning, captivating performance. It’s such varied material and the next few songs take us back to indie feels, with bass lines soaring and guitar driven sounds, it’s a good contrast to Brooke’s rich, soulful voice. It’s a great set, very upbeat, high energy, very clean sounds and a blues sound is central. We have that skippy jazz drumbeat running through, but some songs have an almost Kate Bush retro feel to them. So many different styles and genres and influences come together in this truly unique sound. It’s brimming with style and content, very listenable and the vibes run from laid back to real dance inducing. Another amazing set which has flown by. I very much look forward to much more of Brooke Combe, smooth,rich soulful and fascinating.

SORRY NO SET LIST AVAILABLE

 

 

3rd Support – Red Rum Club

Francis Doran – lead vocal

Tom Williams – guitar

Michael McDermott – guitar

Simon Hepworth – bass

Neil Lowson – drum/percussion

Joe Corby -trumpet

 

 

After mentioning to a friend today that I’d be reviewing Red Rum Club tonight, he said he didn’t know of them. “Oh you will”, I said, “You just haven’t realised who they are”…then I described them – “very Mexican/cowboy sounding indie….if that’s even a thing”…His reply…”that sounds like it should be a thing”… I’m ashamed to say I’ve never seen Red Rum Club live before. I’m a HUGE fan, so I’m really happy for tonight to be finally seeing them.

The second the guys arrive on stage the energy soars…it’s booming! As they begin to play the feels go up and there’s a real sense of vibrancy… Intricate, jingly, real Mexicana sounds with a driving indie guitar come absolutely galloping toward us. We’ve been transported to some hot summer fiesta…it’s magical, it feels like being in a Frida Khalo painting. An utter explosion of sound: opalesque, glittering. All 6 band members give us their all and do not stand still throughout the entire set. Very stylised, the trumpet leads the sound. Flamenco feeling beats, and the shapes our charismatic front man Francis makes, along with the overhead hand clapping, are reminiscent of the silhouette of a matador. Dancing, high kicking, encouraging the crowd, it’s nonstop, addictive and we cannot peel our eyes away from this stage. Vocals are very even and strong, with a real characterful tone which sits perfectly atop the fiesta, indie mixed flavour of the music. High vibrational, the moshpit is in action…I mean, we have inflatable trumpets crowd surfing, which is a new one on me! It’s party feeling, fun fuelling, but then we traverse into a deeper sound. It’s a soundtrack of epic productions, of western, blockbuster type energy, darker, more atmospheric. It’s ‘Once upon a time in Mexico’ type feeling, it’s inspired, creative brilliance.

Such an original sound, it captivates a whole style/feeling from the norm, but it still satisfies us, diehard indie fans, with that shimmering guitar line. The guys appear to give their all to create this party. The floor is springing, the crowd are wild and bouncing – this blistering Mexican style musical heat wave has engulfed us all and we love it.

Six brilliant Scousers who have managed to make trumpet cool, charisma drips from them…an abundance of energy, glistening stage presence and ‘must hear again’, amazing songs. Blew the roof off this hacienda tonight! Another brilliant sound from the sound city – Liverpool must be very proud.

SORRY NO SET LIST AVAILABLE

 

 

Miles Kane – Headline

Tonight’s event is a prequel to the huge Neighbourhood Weekender festival which takes place next weekend but it also falls in line with Miles Kane’s latest tour to promote the release of his 4th studio solo album ‘Change the Show’ in January of this year. As the lights go out the noise level from the crowd goes up and in a flood of red lighting and dry ice the band and the iconic man himself arrive on stage. We start to hear those shimmering sounds of that retro 60s funky vibe that can only be Miles Kane…and it goes off…and then some.

The backdrop is red with huge lettering spelling out our headliner’s name and beneath that 4 huge mirrors stand at the back of the stage with lighting between that flashes intermittently. It’s very, very eclectic and very atmospheric. The styles of each song differ and are all individual but each has that real distinct Miles Kane signature sound and is instantly recognisable. Very slick, very British, mid century feeling. Think Peter Sellers films and Carnaby Street, yet it’s somehow crisp, of the now and bang up to date – brilliantly retro but new edge modern at the same time – very cool, very genuine and real energy is the overall feel of the performance. No messing about, no chit chat, back to back playing, and playing like nothing else!

The band are bouncing all over the stage, Miles is dancing, jumping, throwing his guitar about… My God this guy sure has got some cool! Looking every inch the hipster in slim suit and white vest and socks, the la la la laaassss resonate and fill tonight’s venue with nostalgia vibes. With his guitar slung across his back, swinging the mic stand, Miles’s voice sounds exactly the same live as it does recorded. It’s perfection – rich, strong, textured, full and loud and far reaching. It induces goose pimples! The moshpit is swirling, people are up on shoulders, and it’s upped another level. Between songs the crowd chants. The energy from this guy (and equally from his band) radiates from them. It’s been explosive right from the get go and it doesn’t cease throughout. Standing up on monitors, guitar held high, throwing it up and catching it, pointing it over the audience like a musical magicians wand, it’s real showmanship as well as guitarmanship. The sound is clear, and very tight. Each song seems better than the last and as a crowd we eagerly await what this musical Messiah has to offer us next.

 

 

I’ve been to a fair few gigs, in fact a hell of a lot, and this is up there with the best, but one thing I can honestly say I’ve never seen…until now…or to this extent…After the performance of ‘Don’t forget who you are’ the crowd continue to chant the chorus ‘Na na na na na na na na na ,don’t forget who you are’ .. Miles, who is having a sip of water, turns and stops to listen, coming right to the stage edge. He stands there, smiling, soaking it up and encouraging more, he then signals to the drummer who starts up again…slowly and bit by bit the rest of the band join in but on a low key, until Miles grabs his guitar and launches back into it and the rest of the band follow, picking up where the crowd are chanting…and we get another rendition of it! All band members are positively bouncing about the stage now! It’s another example of energies being passed from band to audience then back again…feeding off each other’s energy, it’s something very special to be a part of.

Throughout his vocal has seemed effortless – nasal, but throaty, with that real gravel edge. So many differing feels, at some moments it’s like a summer breeze of musical delights, then during the Last Shadow Puppet material it’s darker, moodier and really atmospheric, then that swinging 60s vibe with that danger edge but with the cool ‘now’ twist.

Finishing the set in blisteringly mesmeric, epic style, to utter frenzy from the crowd, after a few minutes of foot stamping, clapping and chanting, it’s back on with an encore – and as encores go, this is one of the best…Finishing on ‘Come closer’ it goes through the roof…guitar blazing…Miles and the lead guitarist jumping off the drum platform…Miles standing above us on monitors, waving his guitar about, on his knees…bouncing…another ending then restart of the song…drumsticks are launched into the crowd, towels are thrown at us…the lights go out, the band exits stage and we’re left with the sounds of the end of a recording on a loop whilst strobe lighting flashes….Wow….it’s like the aftermath of something biblical! Seriously….you need to see this guy live…end of!

 

 

Set List:

1/ Don’t Let it get ya down

2/ Rearrange

3/ Coup de Grace

4/ NEGBGE

5/ Cry on my guitar

6/ Change the show

7/ Bad Habits

8/ Caroline

9/ Summertime

10/ Aviation

11/ Never get tired

12/ Don’t forget who you are

13/ Don’t let me down

14/ See ya when I see ya

15/ Colour of the trap

16/ Standing next to me

17/ Inhaler

18/ Come Closer

 

 

 

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