Aptly for someone with so much soul, baring it comes naturally to Michael Kiwanuka. As he introduced a new song during a sensational show at Brighton Dome, he opened up about the moment where he came dangerously close to quitting music altogether due to external pressures placed on him by unnamed business suits. “I just didn’t want to pick up a guitar anymore at that point” he stated, before revealing that his eventual decision was, thankfully, “screw them.” Not only was he shown to be correct in following his instincts (and the anonymous advisor very wrong), but it also led to Love & Hate – one of 2016’s finest albums. Tonight was an evening to celebrate that decision, and celebrate Brighton did.

The night got off to a perfect start as the exquisite Bedouine, a singer-songwriter of gentle folk songs with a deep and honey-textured voice, took to the stage. Her self-titled album is one of this year’s finest folk albums, and as the sweet sounds of ‘Skyline’ and ‘One Of These Days’ wafted across the venue, couples cuddled in that little bit closer together. There was enough on display here to recognise a star in the making. ’Solitary Daughter’ in particular was a real treat with a vocal flow reminiscent of early Bob Dylan (though infinitely softer and smoother).

As Kiwanuka and the other nine members of his band filed onto stage, an intro tape played snatches of dialogue from the likes of Maya Angelou alongside other influential black voices and songs over the years like a radio skipping stations. Launching into the straight-up soul of ‘Place I Belong’ before the funkier ‘One More Night’, it was apparent that we were being taken somewhere special and magical. Kiwanuka’s voice is just as strong and soulful live as it is on record, but the songs moved onto a different plane altogether due to a vivid and imaginative re-interpretation. ‘Tell Me A Tale’, from his debut Home Again, turned into a transcendent jazz-soul hybrid during its extended finale with each musician feeding off each other and jamming like those marathon tracks Isaac Hayes was known for in the 70s.

‘Black Man In A White World’ was performed at a ferocious pace, sweat dripping from Kiwanuka throughout. The handclaps and funky rhythm reverberated around the Dome initially, while the twin drummers and guitarist exchanged spotlight moments before Kiwanuka took over with a thrilling guitar solo. These live versions make the original recorded ones feel like mere blueprints or skeletons, adding new dimensions and turning 2D into 4D, never mind 3D. Each track became a pure moment in time, an emotion captured and stretched in ways that could be imagined to be subtly different each night. Equally impressive however, was when the night slowed with tracks such as ‘Any Day Will Do Fine’ or ‘Home Again’. At these points, the show became more about his voice – and what a voice. Not flawless, but full of character and warmth.

The night contained so many moments of almost indescribable emotion and beauty, and the incredibly talented band all fully played their parts to perfection – particularly the backing singers. LaDonna Harley-Peters’ vocals during ‘Rule The World’ were from another planet, but ultimately and inevitably it was to Kiwanuka that the focus kept returning to. Not just a soul singer with a phenomenal voice, as a guitarist he is equally talented. His solo during ‘The Final Frame’ was sensational, bringing a lump to the throat with its brilliance. The show finished with every member of the band literally having a moment in the spotlight during the extended outro to ‘Father’s Child’. As each of them finished their part, they simply drifted off stage leaving the focus to the next musician. For an ensemble as talented as this (“best band in the world!” was Kiwanuka’s description), it was wonderfully apt.

An intensely emotional and powerful night finished with a short encore consisting of superb renditions of ‘Cold Little Heart’ and ‘Love & Hate’. As Kiwanuka sang “You can’t steal the things that god has given”, it recalled his comments about outside interference that he suffered in the early days. The evidence since then, especially this show, would indicate that it would be a brave (and foolish) person indeed to second-guess Michael Kiwanuka ever again. This man is only just starting.

Jamie Macmillan