Live Review: KAWALA - New Century Hall, Manchester 08/02/2025
KAWALA bid farewell to Manchester with a breath taking performance at New Century Hall.
The group, who have ceaselessly grown in popularity over their ten years of activity, recently revealed that their run of UK and European shows would be their last. The ‘Farewell Tour’ brought a great deal of sadness to fans of the band. KAWALA are one of a kind in that they are so closely connected with their fanbase and it was remarkable to see just how many people connect with the music, as was evidenced by the response to the group’s message that they were to take to the road for one last time.
The good news that came from the group was that they had one more body of recorded material to set free into the world. The ‘KAWALA Collection’ has gone down a treat, with fans lapping up every song.
On February 8th, the band would take to a packed-out New Century Hall in Manchester, to say goodbye to their north-western fans. They would do so in true KAWALA fashion: with an epic performance of some of their very best music.
The scene was set: the crowd flooded into the venue, which was primed and ready for an evening of entertainment.
The crowd were in great spirits as they packed out the room.
Kicking the night off were the brilliant group Teenage Dads. They really got the Manchester crowd up for it, with a fast-paced set that was home to some unbelievable music. Perhaps the pick of the bunch of the tracks they performed was ‘Boarding Pass’. This one oozed swagger, with its big driven guitar riffs and funky melodies. The feel was reminiscent of bands like The Strokes, particularly in the way that Teenage Dads commanded the stage from the off.
The crowd loved them. If members of the audience were previously unaware of Teenage Dads, it’s safe to say that they won’t be forgetting them in a hurry.
It was then time for KAWALA. Manchester were ready to party with the band for one last time.
Their set was everything you could wish for and more. The band kicked off with ‘Never Really Here For Long’, a track from the band’s debut record ‘Better With You’. This one had the crowd in fine voice, it proved to be a brilliant song to open with.
The Manchester crowd came together to belt out the anthemic choruses of the song, and it was evident that the KAWALA members were wowed by their reception, with all of them scarcely being able to hide their smiles.
The show, as a whole, was extremely emotional. The roar of the audience at the end of each song was something to behold, and you could visibly see the band members’ emotions pouring out.
Despite the sad reality that KAWALA are bidding their fans farewell, the set was incredible. The band showed off classics like ‘Animals’ and ‘Searching’, which were belted out word-for-word by the audience.
They also performed some of the material from the latest release. One song from the ‘KAWALA Collection’ which fans seemed to love was ‘Old Me’. As an emotional song already, this one was transcended live and felt like a fully-loaded number bursting with passion, reflection and love. It was clear that the band members were so appreciative of where their music has taken them.
Their chemistry with their fanbase was evident when lead vocalists Jim Higson and Daniel McCarthy took to the crowd to sing fan favourite ‘Mighty River’ with them. This was a beautiful moment that showcased everything KAWALA are about: community, love, and great music.
The band closed the show with hit track ‘Runaway’ that had the entire room bouncing.
As they left the stage, Manchester beckoned for more. They were treated to two more songs.
‘Do It Like You Do’ and ‘Ticket To Ride’ were the songs chosen for the encore. The performance of these two was breath-taking. If the band and crowd weren’t feeling the farewell blues before, they were after these ones. Both songs were performed expertly, and the crowd lapped them up. It was a beautiful way to bid farewell to the Manchester audience.
With that concluded KAWALA’s final gig in Manchester. Those in attendance will relish the opportunity to have caught the brilliant band before they draw the curtains on what has been a rollercoaster ride of a lifetime.
KAWALA have relentlessly brought joy to the people through their music, and their fans will hope that they have every success in whatever’s next for them.
Words by Matthew Caslin
