LIVE REVIEW: Myles Kennedy @ O2 Academy, Liverpool
Often when a well-regarded artist within the rock scene decides to strike out on their own with a solo record, there can be a sense of trepidation from their fanbase as they wonder with bated breath exactly what their hero might be about to come out with. For fans of US arena-rock behemoths ALTER BRIDGE and their magnetic singer Myles Kennedy, that moment finally arrived at the start of 2018 when he finally released his long-awaited solo album Year of the Tiger. Released to widespread acclaim, a brief but equally well-received tour of incredibly intimate UK venues quickly followed, and now the immensely-talented vocalist is back for a second run. We caught up with the tour at Liverpool’s O2 Academy to see exactly how he’d fare this time around.
Given that the temperature in Liverpool as a whole is pushing the high 30s just prior to doors opening, it’s hardly surprising to find out that by the time MYLES KENNEDY is due to actually hit the stage tonight, the main room of the O2 Academy (apparently upgraded-to because of massive demand) is packed more or less to the rafters and the temperature already borderline-unbearable, with venue staff beginning to bring in giant dustbins full of iced water from which to fill cups before anything’s really started happening.
In much a similar vein to his last performance in the North West, back in March at Gorilla in Manchester, the set begins with a jaunty rendition of Devil On The Wall that only serves to heat things up even further, as crowd members begin to dance and bellow along with Kennedy’s unique croon. A quick segue into SLASH favourite Standing In The Sun quickly follows, and subsequently finishes on what must quite frankly be one of the most surreal live music moments of the year thus far as the rowdy Liverpool crowd, having just several hours prior witnessed a 2-0 England win in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, spontaneously break out into a chorus of THE LIGHTNING SEEDS’ anthem Three Lions – leaving Kennedy to simply look on bemused, before egging the fans on further with a drum pedal, in what ends up being the first of many jovial moments scattered throughout his set this time.
It’s an impressively strange segue into what’s to follow for the rest of the evening, as the man responsible for some of the last decade’s best modern rock songs delves deep into his own back catalogue, with utterly enthralling results. From the ALTER BRIDGE side of things, there’s Addicted To Pain, Show Me A Leader, All Ends Well and the pretty much obligatory Watch Over You (the latter proving one of the most tear-jerkingly emotional moments of the whole performance, as the entire room appear to sing every word together in unison amidst a blinding mass of phone flashlights); of SLASH’s material the always-moving Starlight and a bluesy resonator guitar remake of World On Fire close off the main set; and of Kennedy’s first major band THE MAYFIELD FOUR just one cut this evening in the form of Mars Hotel – a number which comically sees the usually well-composed vocalist completely break down laughing towards the end of the song as his humorous attempts to replicate normally effects-based echoed backing vocals are met with hilarious uproar from the room. It’s definitely a fun moment, and certainly proves that Myles Kennedy is a man more than capable of rolling with a joke and laughing at himself when necessary.
As time goes on, it becomes slightly more evident that there’s also a greater presence of Year of the Tiger material in the set tonight too, with both Songbird and Turning Stones taking their well-deserved place alongside now-established favourites like Haunted By Design and Blind Faith. It’s striking just how much more emotional some of these songs seem to come across in a live environment too, with the stripped-back arrangement of just guitar and vocals really highlighting just how well-written these tracks are, and how strong Myles’ vocals are for the entire night. Of course, for every moment of relative seriousness and emotion, there’s some humour to balance things out, and none are perhaps better delivered than the moment when Myles Kennedy simply drops a genuinely astonishing acoustic cover of IRON MAIDEN’s metal classic The Trooper into the middle of his set as if it were no big deal. It probably shouldn’t work as a concept, but the man has more than enough talent to pull it off, and the looks of sheer bemusement and delight on the audiences’ faces as they realise what’s occurring are a joy to behold. As Myles closes off the main part of his set with a cover of ROBERT JOHNSON’s Travelling Riverside Blues segueing into the aforementioned World On Fire, those who caught the first version of this tour back in March are all too prepared for what’s next. Unsurprisingly, Kennedy quickly returns and the phone flashlights are quickly back on for what’s easily the night’s other emotional peak, the melancholic yet uplifting Love Can Only Heal, which sees Myles essentially conducting the crowd by its conclusion with an effortlessly-catchy refrain that simply feels magical. Of course, there’s only one real way of ending the evening, and the sheer jubilation that comes along with closing number Year of the Tiger is merely a final full-stop in what’s been a remarkable performance packed to the brim with highlights.
Intimate shows such as tonight’s from acts usually more commonly found in arena-size venues and up are nearly always special-feeling affairs, but if there’s any musician capable of what feels like setting the bar even higher for such an occasion in 2018, then it’s certainly Myles Kennedy. A set filled with wall-to-wall beloved songs pulled from such a wide range of projects and musical styles only serves to prove tonight just how multi-talented the vocalist is, and with an army of dedicated fans in the room who seem to know every single lyric, proves just how special the man is to so many people. A truly landmark-feeling performance
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Liverpool from Stephen Fallows here:
