LIVE REVIEW: Myles Kennedy @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
What do you get if you put two heavyweights of the rock genre in the same room and ask them to play a show? It sounds like the opening of a sub-par joke but it’s a question posed to us tonight outside the Kentish Town’s o2 Forum as we await a night of undoubtedly great music from DEVIN TOWNSEND and MYLES KENNEDY.
An apt way of describing DEVIN TOWNSEND would be unpredictable. That is in the best way possible. On the bill tonight is an acoustic set which is interesting in and of itself. Townsend is a brilliant mind when it comes to composition so we await his arrival with great anticipation. With zero fanfare, Townsend takes the stage as if just wandering into the O2 Forum from the street and picking up a guitar. That’s what we love about DEVIN TOWNSEND, no frills and no bullshit.
Our anticipation is rewarded with 35 minutes of perfection. Townsend’s vocals feel as though we have died and arrived at utopia. Starting proceedings with 2006’s Synchestra’s Let It Roll sets the standard for sounding better than the recording. Perhaps noting a sea of faces which are unfamiliar with the titan of progressive metal, Townsend’s penchant for rambling jokes begins, including encouraging a group of people to carry on talking as he performs. STRAPPING YOUNG LAD’s Love? starts with a proclamation “this is a song about repressed rage… stemming from my father’s repressed rage, it’s a happy time”. While the statement was self-deprecating, Love? is indeed a happy time. Extreme metal stripped down into a what could be a beautiful ballad, bar from the calls of “you fuckers”.
This juxtaposition carries on throughout Townsend’s time on stage. Wonderfully composed music peppered with a comedy act in the form of Townsend’s mind simply letting go. Bring Him Home and Deadhead work beautifully together in sending chills up the spine. With nothing but a voice and an acoustic guitar, this incredible man had the majority ensnared. The attempt to rouse a singalong during Ih-Ah! was particularly charming and by song’s end had the room singing along with joy.
Charming is the best word we can use for DEVIN TOWNSEND’s performance tonight. Alongside intriguing. Chatter arose of “I wonder what an electric show is like” after Townsend’s departure. If Townsend’s next tour is on the horizon, it would have to do a lot of heavy lifting after this set where he simply surpassed himself.
Rating: 9/10
With ALTER BRIDGE merchandise aplenty in the crowd and TREMONTI included in the pre-show playlist, MYLES KENNEDY knows where his audience’s adoration lies. That will become clear later on, however for now, the frontman comes to the fore and tears into The Art Of Letting Go. While his latest album has been out for some time, it is still a risk having the first two live tracks dedicated to it. Yet it’s one which pays off with Kennedy’s adoring fans dancing and singing along to every word emphatically. Tim Tournier’s bass riffs are salaciously dense, skipping between this and Nothing More To Gain with ease.
The first third of Kennedy’s set is gloriously riff-rock laden. Devil On The Wall is sung with a smile, the singer seemingly feeding from the crowd’s collective jubilance. A Thousand Words and Mr. Downside while lyrically heavy sound incredibly positive and this is indeed a joyous occasion to be a part of. Acoustic born Blind Faith gets an electric rewrite, allowing Zia Uddin to command the drums as only he can. “This is my favourite song as I get to play a self-indulgent guitar solo” Kennedy jokes before attempting to start Behind The Veil. After playing a single chord, the crowd is whipped into a frenzy which gives Kennedy the idea to spout an impromptu guitar lesson. It seems DEVIN TOWNSEND isn’t the only charming man on the bill this evening. The solo which follows is nothing short of incendiary and an example of why Kennedy is one of the most underrated guitarists of our time.
Which brings us to the lyrical prowess of our main event for the evening. Armed with a microphone and acoustic guitar, Kennedy tells us of a young lady he met earlier today who had requested a short rendition of THE MAYFIELD FOUR’s White Flag. This rendition is simply spectacular and feeds into the enchanting cover of ALTER BRIDGE’s Lover. “Isn’t love the most painfully wonderful thing?” Kennedy asks as he seamlessly meanders into the devastating Love Can Only Heal. Tears aplenty flow from the eyes of the crowd with not one soul safe from the trio of heartbreaking songs.
There is a slight stumble as the electric portion of the evening is resumed with Miss You When You’re Gone. It simply doesn’t hit the same as it does on the album itself, though that is no fault of Kennedy’s, it’s just how the night seems to be going. It recovers for a rousing rendition of Year Of The Tiger which Kennedy dedicates to his fellow band members and touring crew alongside those in the audience whose support has been unwavering. However, it’s closing Say What You Will which becomes the blazing cherry on the top of what has been one of Kennedy’s finest shows to date.
So what do you get if you put two heavyweights of the rock genre in the same room and ask them to play a show? As DEVIN TOWNSEND and MYLES KENNEDY have demonstrated over the course of the evening; you get a night of incredible music from two of our world’s most talented musicians.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Sarah Tsang here:
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