On a freezing night in December, Kenny Thomas showed why he remains one of the best soul singers in the UK

Stay home and watch England in a World Cup quarter final, or take the Central Line out to Shepherd’s Bush for a night of blue-eyed soul? Well, as it turned out, I’d made the right decision to head out on a cold December night to see Kenny Thomas’s last show of 2022. While the rest of the nation were treated to another World Cup knockout for England, the nearly capacity crowd at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire enjoyed a pre-Christmas treat.

The last time I’d seen Kenny perform – to my shame – was a full eight years ago, almost to the day, when he opened up for Jocelyn Brown at the indigo2. And he was great then, and held his own up against the disco icon. In those past eight years, Kenny has continued to tour, put out a few singles here and there often in collaboration with others, and has been caring for and fundraising for his daughter’s medical care.

So while he’s never been away – and it would therefore be unfair to call it a comeback – but 2022 seemed to be a bumper year for Kenny Thomas. Not only has he spent a chunk of time on tour in the UK with his band and part of the Soultasia day-festivals, he’s also released two new epic singles, his first solo releases in years. And, even better, they’re really, really good.

Backed by a seven-piece band, Thomas played for nearly 2 hours, ending within seconds of the 11PM curfew. That’s what I call value for money.

I’m sure most of the crowd had come to hear the hits – I mean, who could resist hearing ‘Thinking About Your Love’ – but for me, the real highlight was the hearing the new songs live. The incredibly catchy ‘Contagious’ hasn’t been off my Spotify ‘On Repeat’ playlist since it came out, and neither has it’s follow-up the short-but-sweet groove of ‘Got It On Time’.

Both singles seem to be getting some airplay on the radio now, but what struck me was how well they sat alongside the rest of his greatest hits. The songs themselves are great, and the production is retro without sounding outdated. Whisper it quietly, but I think they might rank up there with some of this best work. Thomas teased that we’d get a new album from him in 2023, and if that’s true, it can’t come soon enough.

New music aside, Kenny seemed to perform every song in their arsenal – and then some. The set flew by as the band roared through Kenny’s catalogue, from ‘Best of You’ to ‘Trippin’ On Your Love’ to his version of ‘Outstanding’. And through it all it seemed as if his voice hadn’t aged in thirty years. Or rather that we’d all stepped back in time to, say, 1998. It certainly seemed that way down in the standing section.

If that wasn’t enough, Kenny managed to find time to sprinkle in some covers, including a great version of the Lou Rawls classic ‘You’ll Never Find’ and the Fatback Band’s anthem ‘I Found Loving’ (although pretty sure Kenny has also recorded that previously, too).

As the set drew to a close, it was certainly one of the better live shows I’d seen in 2022. A night of quality musicianship, infectious songs, all led by a man who remains one of the country’s best soul singers. Walking back towards the tube I came away thinking, why isn’t this guy more well known? Perhaps his new album and another UK tour in 2023 will address that.

Oh, and PS: little tip if you’re planning on sitting at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, don’t bother. If it’s full you won’t see over the head in front, and in winter it’s freezing. Head downstairs and share that body heat.

Support

And a shout-out to the night’s warm-up act, Lukas Setto, a fine singer who sounded great during his 30 minute set. Lukas had the unenviable task of performing while half the audience were streaming the second half of the football on their phones. Unfortunately for him, his set ended almost at the same time as Harry Kane launched his penalty into stratosphere. But Lukas managed to keep it together, and will surely be one to watch for new material in 2023.