KAWALA’s bittersweet send-off at the O2 Institute Birmingham
A night of tears, laughter and a lot of dancing.
Photo: KAWALA
With this being the fourth night out of ten shows, KAWALA brought the fire and passion on their farewell tour, addressing the big ‘elephant in the room’ till the end and rather encouraged a playful energetic mood throughout their hour and twenty-five-minute set. Performing a wide range of songs, most being from their debut album, there were a collective mix of new songs from KAWALA Collection and their previous EPs, bringing a resolutive end to their prolific decade of music.
Kicking things off first was their incredible support act, Teenage Dads, an Australian indie rock band formed in Victoria in 2015, which is around the same time KAWALA made their appearance on the Mahogany Sessions. The band, consisting of Jordan Finlay (Vocals, Guitar, and Keyboard), Connor McLaughlin (Guitar), Vincent Kinna (Drums) and Angus Christie (Bass), has since released two studio albums and four EPs. KAWALA really did choose a perfect opener as they had a classic UK indie sound to them with their song Boyfriend being reminiscent of The Kooks. Overall, with the deliverance of a short but solid set, enticing guitar and synth riffs, crowd participation especially during their cover of Video Killed the Radio Star, Teenage Dads are a band you should watch out for and I think KAWALA agrees. They were even giving out free stickers at their merch stand after the gig ended – bonus brownie points.
KAWALA create an astonishing soundscape that include many elements, whether it’s funk driven by instruments playing in a rhythmic groove, or transporting you to a nostalgic summer’s day. Moving it from studio recording to a live setup displayed their true brilliance, as it came to life before the audiences’ eyes, making it impossible not to join and match the band’s energy. Opening the set with Never Really Here for Long, the acoustic guitar drives the beat alongside the vocals before the drums accompany, making the sound reminiscent of other notable indie bands like Ten Fé and Bears Den in their focus on harmonies and use of an acoustic guitar. As well as Bombay Bicycle Club in their folk style and compositional technique, one example being the use of call and response seen effectively in KAWALA’s opening song to help warm up the crowd through the chorus leaving the crowd even more hyped for the next song.
The true magic behind KAWALA is their blended dual lead vocals in each song, and when performing on stage it is tenfold in moments of acapella. The harmonies when witnessing and hearing the blend in person inside an intimate venue alongside an acoustic and electric bright indie folk sound was unbelievable. The strong chemistry within the band was clear, with the Farewell Tour also becoming a full circle moment for KAWALA as Bombay Bicycle Club’s drummer, Suren de Saram, chips into help this tour and their bassist, Ed Nash, helped write and produce Old Me off their recent album KAWALA Collection, as previously KAWALA also helped support Bombay Bicycle Club on their UK tour in 2024.
The highlight of the night has to be the comedic interludes from the band, frontmen Daniel McCarthy and Jim Higson after every song complimented the crowd stating whenever they mention the reality of KAWALA’s disbanding they have never been booed so nicely. Before singing the third song they ever wrote, Mighty River, which they label as their ‘silly song’, they proceed to discuss the elephant in the room: stating that even with the lack of income throughout the years touring and making music, it wouldn’t be changed for the world. In light of the bittersweet goodbye, emotions were counteracted with comedy as the band wanted to keep going out with a bang as they continued to take the piss out of certain songs and include anecdotes of the funniest selection of reactions when performing Mighty River. One was the first time they played it at a pub, where a baby cried all the way through, “seemingly creating a three-part harmony”.
Playing to a packed, sold-out venue with people congregating on each step and balcony, it didn’t stop the crowd from participating and mirroring the band’s energy on stage. Condensing an impressive catalogue of songs is not an easy feat and, even when jokingly offering to play their full discography, adding a couple more hours to the show — the crowd were more than happy to hear this, cheering on the suggestion. It was a night of reminiscing for KAWALA and a delight to hear stories across the decade, seeing them recognise faces in the crowd, and watch them interact and have fun playing on stage together.
The indie scene has grown considerably since 2015, but one thing is for sure: KAWALA have been consistent and act as a prime example of the incredible talent the UK have. This band will always remain a firm place in fans’ hearts and have a long-lasting legacy.
KAWALA Collection is out now via EMI.
