MILES KANE BRIDGES CLASSIC ANTHEMS WITH NEW HEAT IN GLASGOW

LIVE REVIEW | MILES KANE | O2 ACADEMY, GLASGOW | 24th January 2026 by Anne Kelly

January is a strange time to tour. The evenings are dark, the weather is relentlessly dreich, and most folks are nursing the ‘financial dehydration’ of the festive season with their social batteries firmly on charge. Yet, not everyone was staying in on Saturday. At Glasgow’s O2 Academy, the gloom was replaced by a room fuelled by shared joy and anticipation for one of British music’s most consistent and charismatic figures: Miles Kane.

Kicking things off in Glasgow, the Sunlight In The Shadows tour finally takes his Auerbach-produced October release from the studio to the stage. Already steeped in critical acclaim, Miles’ sixth studio album sees the Merseyside musician push the comfort zones of creativity, resulting in a newfound sense of pride and accomplishment.

With chants of “Here we fucking go” erupting before Miles even struck the first chord, the Glasgow crowds are notoriously hard to top. The stage aesthetic was a leopard-print fever dream. From the amps to the drum kit, the setup was fully Kat Slater-approved. It was a bold move that allowed the band themselves to lean into their slick, signature all-black attire, letting the decor provide the flash while they provided the focus.

Opening with ‘I Pray’, the setlist struck a natural balance between fresh material and crowd staples. Sequencing ‘Rearrange’ alongside ‘Troubled Son’ ensured both seasoned fans and newcomers were catered to early on. The back-to-back punch of ‘Cry On My Guitar’ and ‘Inhaler’ ignited the room, while later highlights ‘Better Than That’ and ‘One Man Band’ had the Academy roof raised.

Miles Kane (Anne Kelly/Northern Exposure)

It is the Sunlight In The Shadows tour, so hearing the latest album come to life was an easy highlight. ‘Electric Flower’ and ‘Love Is Cruel’ already feel like essential staples – well-rehearsed and effortlessly slotted between the classics. As for the tour’s newest additions, ‘Coming Down The Road’ and ‘Walk On The Ocean’ they carried a live energy that even topped their studio counterparts. It would have been nice to hear more from the new album, but I’m sure as the tour goes on, some other gems will get their chance to sparkle.

Everything built to a climactic high as Kane teased the end of the night. ‘Don’t Forget Who You Are’ echoed across the room, continuing as a foot-stomping chant during his brief disappearing act before he returned to a roar of cheers and a reprisal of the chorus. The two-track encore struck a perfect balance between Miles’ past and future, pairing the latest album’s title track with the heavy-hitting ‘Come Closer’ – possibly his most iconic anthem to date.

There may have been some first-night nerves, with Kane’s usual charismatic charm appearing slightly subdued at first, but the Glasgow crowd wasted no time easing them. Once he tapped into that energy, he was back in his element like a true boss. He might have kept the banter to a minimum but let his presence do the talking – and if smiles and swagger are his love language, then Glasgow was suitably serenaded by the thrill.