Kwabs + Honne @ Hare and Hounds, 25th April 2015

There are two airports in Birmingham, Birmingham International, for your regular continental and international flights all over the world. The second is the Hare and Hounds Kingsheath, home to the departure lounge for the fans of some of the finest emerging acts in the world of music.

Tonight our captain was Ghanaian-born, London raised soul sensation Kwabs, but first we were entertained by Honne a two piece band from East London, who on the night had a quartet on the stage including themselves.  For the purposes of the review they will be referred to as air traffic control setting the tone of what we could expect tonight. Their very warm melodies blending with electronic synth, their catchy lyrics left the crowd vibing and feeling relaxed and assured of the nights music ahead.  Performing a small set of six songs, they left the crowd wanting more as any good supporting act would do. Tracks from their up coming EP, “Costal Love”, including “Warm On A Cold Night” their stand out track to date, had everyone singing and moving, as if this was an established musical piece that has been around for years. Honne is pushing boundaries of a sound that we are becoming very used to, the Motown Crooners mixed with the Apple melodic generation.

There was a small break for the break down and set up of the main act. The table has been set and the runway now clear; all systems were go for Kwabs. The room went dark and the band emerged from the crowd, a bit like when you are at the airport and you see the air hostesses walking through. They got on stage and were followed shortly by Kwabs, entering with a swagger and presence that was second to none. A sharply dressed individual, he introduced himself then- bam- we had lift off. He performed a mixture of songs from his old material that seen him become a Youtube sensation.  If you look him up on line, he can be seen with a band performing in a living room and making it feel like a headline set at any world renowned festival.

“Lay Back” one of my favourite tracks of his, was rearranged tonight and had a completely different sound and feel to it; feeling like it was a brand new track. Without putting it mildly Kwabs has had a stellar musical education having spent his youth with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, and being an Alumni of the Royal Academy of Music.  You can tell by his incredible pacing, tone and formidable range. There was also a cover of “Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know” If you did not know you would be forgiven to think it was an original track.

The way Kwabs was manipulating his voice on the night was just unbelievable, going for it in ever capacity possible. Kwabs left the stage to are very rowdy crowd who were still yearning for more . Can you imagine if your pilot left the cockpit just before your destination? It would be no fun. He was doing that thing where he left the stage and we demand an encore, but it was just not required tonight, I am sure that the everyone in Hare and Hounds, could have stayed all night to hear this man sing and his band play.

Kwabs returned to perform “Walk” his breakthrough single and “Cheating On Me” a new track from his hotly anticipated album Love & War. We got to our destination eventually  — entertained. Kwabs gave us everything on stage tonight and as fans of music this is the kind of stuff that leaves a profound mark on your mind and gives you goosebumps. I hope he has not made too many plans; this dude is going to be in for a seriously busy year.

Review: Chadwick Jackson

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