Kane - The Mean Fiddler, London, Monday 15th March 2004
We'd booked our tix to see Maroon 5 twice in London and only found out Kane were supporting the week before the dates. We'd heard of Kane (we had a vague recollection they'd supported Bon Jovi in 2001) but we weren't familiar with their music. We were however greatly anticipating the shows, especially as World of Rock regular Laura knew of Kane and thought we'd like them too!
We arrived just before the doors opened and were dismayed to find that once
Kane did a wonderful job warming up the crowd and although most people (like us) were unfamiliar with the songs it wasn't hard to be sucked into them. We can't be sure of the set-list that night but we do know that "Damn Those Eyes" was played (Nic and I very much appreciated this one and it remains one of our favourites) and by the time "Rain Down On Me" was performed our jaws were aching from smiling so much! The floor was hot and the crowd absorbed - the atmosphere was highly charged for a "new" band, with Kane / the audience feeding off each other easily.
It was then time to take it down a notch for the encore "Our Hearts Will Beat As One" which Dinand dedicated to his "best friend" that he lost a couple of months back. The change in atmosphere was extremely poignant as every single person listened intently to the emotion poured into the song, it was almost eerie. All too soon it was over and we were left thinking how we couldn't wait for the 2nd April.....to see Kane again!
Kane - The Astoria, London, Friday 2nd April 2004
Kane opened with "So Glad You Made It" stating in between how glad they were
that we had all made it here, but not half as glad as we were to be there clapping and singing away. "Mother" slowed things down a little before the tempo was picked back up with a storming version of "Hold On To The World" which really does rock live. "Let It Be" gave everyone a chance to catch their breath with Dinand delighting the audience on the floor by perching on the edge of the stage and serenading the lucky few fans at the front!
Before we knew it, the opening bars of "Rain Down On Me" began radiating around the room with practically the whole of The Astoria joining in dancing & jumping. In fact, we were enjoying ourselves so much that we were even asked if we were Dutch!!!! The time always seems to fly when you're having fun and it was soon time for Kane to sadly leave the stage, and without doing their encore of "Our Hearts Will Beat As One". (Some of us were chatting afterwards and thought that maybe Kane were warming the crowd up a little too much!) However, before walking off, we were promised that Kane would return to the UK and the promise of a full Kane show is something that we're REALLY looking forward to - we can't wait!
We can't end this review without taking a moment to thank Maroon 5 for bringing Kane to our attention; that's something for which we'll always be grateful.
Pictures owned by Lou & Nic
inside, Kane had already taken to the stage early as there was a club night to be held afterwards. We managed to bag a spot 8-10 rows back and from that moment on, we were hooked! We just couldn't stop smiling / clapping and looking around, we weren't the only ones! Kane have a stage presence that very few acts can master and coming on as virtual unknowns in a foreign country, capturing the audience's attention as they did is no mean feat. This was the band's first gig in the UK and it was obvious they were out to impress.
tiered stalls for this show which meant we could observe the atmosphere in the whole venue, and what an atmosphere! The crowd were quite clearly up for a
good time as were the bands, and by the end of Kane's set it was hard to spot anyone that wasn't enjoying themselves!! The band had slightly more confidence tonight and showed effortlessly how to bring the songs to life live on stage. Dinand's vocals were powerful but controlled, Dennis' guitar solos awe inspiring and the beat was kept beautifully between Martijn and Dion. We were also treated to the added depth that Nico added on the keyboards.