MILES KANE BRINGS THE CHAOS TO CROOKES WORKING MENS CLUB

VILLANELLE

WORDS BRADLEY FOSTER

On Monday, 26th January, Villanelle stepped up as support for Miles Kane and made a real impression. They walked into a room still filling, but it didn’t take long for the focus to shift their way. From the first few bars, there was a tight, urgent energy to the set, gritty, driven, and hungry. These were songs built for sweaty floors and late nights, not polished playlists.

Frontman Gene Gallagher carried himself with easy confidence. Nothing forced, nothing showy, just assured enough to hold the room. His vocals sat in that sweet spot between melodic and raw, cutting cleanly through the thick, distorted guitars. And crucially, the attention stayed on the band, not the surname. They were there to stand on their own merit, and they did.

Musically, Villanelle hit a strong balance between heaviness and groove. Punchy guitars, chunky riffs, and a rhythm section that kept everything tight and driving forward. No over‑explaining, no long pauses, just song after song delivered with intent.

What stood out most was how alive the set felt. By halfway through, heads were nodding, bar chatter had dipped, and the applause had grown noticeably warmer. By the final track, they’d clearly won over a good chunk of the room. And honestly, it’s brilliant to see a young band out on the road as relentlessly as they are. Touring like this is where you sharpen your instincts, toughen your edges, and really learn your craft, there’s no shortcut for that kind of graft.

Crookes amplified everything, the grit in the vocals, the crunch of the guitars, the sweat‑close distance between band and crowd. They had some extremely decent merch, too.

4/5

MILES KANE

WORDS RACHEL BROWN

There’s something beautifully Sheffield about the way big nights here can feel almost casual. It’s what I love the most, people are down to earth, there’s no pretence, the atmosphere actually feels authentic. Miles Kane calling this city his second home isn’t just a line he throws out onstage, it’s a lived truth. As Bradley and I stood outside so he could have a vape, a couple of Arctic Monkeys slipped past us into Crookes Social Club. We glanced over and laughed because the people around barely moved. In London, it would have caused a stir, but in Sheffield, it’s just another Monday.

Crookes Social Club is exactly what it says on the tin, the kind of place that takes you straight back to childhood. Well, it certainly does for me. My grandad was a promoter, and I grew up falling asleep on back benches just like these, living on a diet of Coke and Poppets. Anyway, walking into Crookes WMC feels like stepping into that world again.

It’s a traditional working men’s club through and through, Max‑and‑Paddy‑style bouncers on the door (lovely lads), seats running up and down the sides, smoke‑stained ceilings, soft lighting, and a carpet that’s absorbed decades of spilt pints and stories. It’s working‑class, unpretentious Sheffield, and stubbornly itself. The room almost whispers, “If you don’t like it, sling yer hook.” Honestly, I love that.

Whether it suits Miles’ sharp, mod‑leaning big energy aesthetic is another question, but there’s no denying the pull of Crookes Social. I can see exactly why so many of Sheffield’s big names hold it close. The place has a lived‑in charm and a sense of history you simply can’t manufacture. There’s an ease to it, the kind of room where musicians feel instantly at home. Yes, it’s the spot for a pint, a pork pie, or even a music‑video cameo, but that’s part of its magic. It’s a venue that brings people together, a space that feels genuinely rooted in the city’s musical heartbeat, and that atmosphere adds something special to any performance.

Miles kicked off with I Pray, easing the crowd in before dropping into Rearrange and Troubled Son, which finally loosened the room. The setlist was generous, flipping through his career, moving through new album tunes like Electric Flower, then Give Up, Cry On My Guitar, and Coming Down the Road before landing on Too Little Too Late and Loaded. Even in a venue this dark and retro, those songs still carry a cinematic punch.

The middle stretch, Love Is Cruel, Inhaler, Blue Skies, and One Man Band, felt like the heart of the night and where Miles really came into himself. The crowd were pretty stagnant for a Miles Kane gig, but it was a Monday and Sheffield crowds are hard at the best of times. I’ve seen some of my favourite artists perform sets on a weeknight in Sheffield that have had me break out in goosebumps, and the crowd look like they’ve had their feet glued to the floor. However, by the time he hit Colour of the Trap, Walk on the Ocean, and Better Than That, the crowd had warmed up slightly.

The final run, Coup de Grace, Never Taking Me Alive, Don’t Force, Sunlight in the Shadows, and Come Closer, was where he finally broke through the limitations of the room. It felt like he decided to stop trying to make the venue fit him and instead leaned into the intimacy of it. The result was raw, loose, and unexpectedly tender.

It wasn’t the most euphoric Miles Kane show I’ve ever been to, but that had nothing to do with him. Miles does what Miles does best, he turns up and delivers with that trademark swagger and energy every time. The slightly subdued atmosphere came from the Monday‑night Sheffield crowd, who, compared to the electric Leadmill closing‑night audience, could’ve done with a bit of a kick up their arse.

That said, it was still one of his most energetic performances, and I loved every minute of it. The new tracks held their own alongside the classics, catchy, immediate, and already slipping neatly into the crowd’s muscle memory.

A big personality in a small room, a hometown‑adjacent audience, a couple of Monkeys tucked quietly into the corner, and a setlist that reminded everyone why he’s held in such affection here. Sheffield doesn’t dress up for anyone, and last night, Miles didn’t need it to.

Miles Kane played Crookes WMC again last night, then lands in Southampton. Read my recent interview with Miles Kane here.

Sunlight In The Shadows is out now…

4.5/5