There was much about the atmosphere to suggest that the people shuffling up the steps into Southampton’s Guildhall on a cold, damp, blustery night might have been seeking some kind of refuge in a season wracked with bad weather and troubling news. This sold out show by ever rising star Michael Kiwanuka would provide ample musical and spiritual nourishment to bring light and warmth into otherwise rather dreary times.
At around 9pm a hush fell on the crowded hall as the smoky intro to ‘Piano Joint (This Kind of Love)’ blared out of the speakers and the low disco lighting narrowed the audience’s focus down to that spare, atmospheric piano riff and soulful lead vocal. It’s a powerful start, with the figure of Kiwanuka at centre stage a magnetic presence, his afro-crowned head craning back from the mic, his face taut with emotion while reaching for the high notes. From this launchpad the rest of the band joins in with the kind of precision and intensity that characterises the rest of the show- offering funky off-beat drumming, psychedelic guitar colourings, driving bass, with some exemplary melodic work from the awesome backing singers.
As Kiwanuka runs through some of his upbeat, dancey numbers like “You Ain’t the Problem” and “Rolling”, the mood in the venue most definitely ratchets up a few notches. Rather than dominating proceedings, on these tracks Kiwanuka’s vocal blends in with the overall soundscape, while he holds the neck of his guitar almost vertically and wrenches every last bit of feeling from his strumming. ‘I’ve Been Dazed’ comes next, which if a bit stilted and meandering on his latest record, takes on new life here in the arena. The orchestral flourishes and vocals are allowed room to breathe and expand and this same effect can be noted on a subsequent rendition of another 70’s-soul drenched track, ‘Living in Denial’. Next, ‘Black Man in a White World’ is funky enough to bear the weight of its uncomfortable message, while generating just the right amount of tension in the crowd. Such a direct evocation of the racial divide in the wrong performer’s hands might run the risk of sounding either a bit schmaltzy or opportunistic but Kiwanuka makes it work and you don’t doubt that his message is coming from a real place. At this point the situation is practically crying out for him to play his rousing recent hit ‘Hero’ to build on that platform and take the crowd somewhere else. But he chooses instead to follow up with a fairly pedestrian number ‘Rule the World’ and as a result the set loses a bit of momentum.
‘Hero’ does come next though, and on the left of the venue a trick of lighting has contrived to cast a giant shadow of Kiwanuka which the massive sidewall can barely contain. You could cut the passion of the delivery with a knife, and by the time he gets to his simultaneously barnstorming and melancholic ‘Final Days’ the crowd are in quiet raptures. Throughout the gig, the singer exudes an odd, almost self-effacing charisma, and while he doesn’t engage in much chat, there is a graciousness in everything he does that carries its own communicative force. A remarkable turn from the supporting vocalists in one section (reminiscent of the legendary Stones ‘Gimme Shelter’ backing) is met which huge applause, which inadvertently drowns out Kiwanuka’s final vocal part. He smiles knowingly and generously, before using the situation as an opportunity to launch into band introductions, starting of course with his trusty singers. Later he mentions warmly that Southampton is his hometown now, before serving up a perfect 4-song encore, including a delicate solo acoustic of his debut album title track ‘Home Again’, the rootsy Marvyn Gaye/Bill Withers influenced gospel call and response of ‘Love and Hate’, and a snappy version of his signature hit, ‘Cold Little Heart’.
You get the feeling that Kiwanuka enjoys trying on different hats. A folk troubadour with a strident vocal delivery and thunderous acoustic guitar sound- a Richie Havens of Woodstock vintage say. An attention shunning guitar/vocalist blending into a psychedelic rock ensemble. A band leader orchestrating delicate soundscapes with a jazz sensibility. A modern soul icon. Perhaps there is a sense that Kiwanuka is still getting into his groove, yet to really settle on his identity as an artist, and this is a perception that his shyness and at times unfocused lyrical content tends to support. But when the musical journey is as interesting and engaging as it was in Southampton tonight, it’s clear that his ever growing audience is more than happy to go along with him for the ride.
*Note- Since posting, Michael has had to cancel the rest of his UK tour due to laryngitis. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope that he can get back on the road to bring his wonderful live show to more audiences soon.