Kamal Takes The Tabernacle for Piano Tour: Show Review

Kamal. captivates London audience with a breath-taking, stripped-back performance at The Tabernacle.

This past week, fans flocked to take in the talents of rising singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, Kamal. This was the last stop in a three-show tour, in which Kamal took things back to basics, performing his tracks accompanied solely by piano. A pianist since the early age of six, Kamal felt this tour was a necessary step for him, that would allow his listeners to appreciate his songs in a new format.

The Tabernacle proved the perfect setting for this performance, with a seated audience, and the environment bearing resemblance to a church. That combined with the single spotlight above Kamal’s head, and the celestial quality of his voice, created an enchanting atmosphere.

A silence fell as he began playing, and only subsided due to an eruption of applause and cheering. He quickly ventured into his latest single, ‘still a little something’, as the lights switched to a pinkish hue. One of the most impressive things about this show was the combination of Kamal’s soft, velvety vocal tone, and the power with which his songs were delivered. As he engaged the hearts of the audience, pondering, ‘is there still a little something there?’, he had a strength in his voice that managed to take nothing away from the song’s serenity.

Kamal also exhibited himself to be a very capable pianist, as he effortlessly went from song to song in a deliberate manner. Of the two main things being showcased, Kamal’s voice and his musicianship, he excelled in both, prompting the audience to be in awe of his artistry.

He took his time between some tracks to give some insight into how they came to be. The crowd listened intently as he described the somewhat misrepresented meaning behind one of his biggest songs, ‘homebody’. He moved through ‘little pieces’, into ‘Kerosene’, with this middle section of the show standing out as a highlight. Following this, he treated the room to two unreleased tracks that were met with uproarious response. Upon hearing both, it seemed as though Kamal is continuing on his positive trajectory, with him likely to have a very successful year.

Blue lights descended as Kamal delved into his beloved track ‘blue’. This was one of the finest examples of why this show was such a good idea. The thoroughly listened-to track took on a whole new aura when played in this setting. This was the penultimate offering, with Kamal ending on a somewhat unexpected, but very welcome cover of Coldplay’s ‘Sparks’. He made the track his own and made his exit from the stage following a standing ovation.

Kamal showcased the vocal clarity, stage presence, and artistry of a far more seasoned performer. Using only his voice and the piano, he held the room in a state of astonishment from the first song to last. There are very few artists at Kamal’s stage in his journey that could’ve managed what he did. The night was an undeniable success, and Kamal proved himself an artist on which no limitations can be placed.