Finally, the beast has been unleashed. After playing it safe on his sophomore effort The Ides of March, Myles Kennedy has rediscovered his swagger—and London got a front-row seat to the resurrection. Opening with “The Art of Letting Go” from his new masterpiece of the same name, “Hey… hey… hey let it roll” sang Kennedy, with a wall of sound driving behind him. This is clearly a statement from Kennedy, and one that everyone immediately understood.
Forget everything you know about Myles Kennedy’s solo work. The Art of Letting Go is the bastard child of The Mayfield Four’s Second Skin we never knew we needed. And holy shit, the reunion with Mayfield Four drummer Zia Uddin ignites pure dynamite. Their chemistry is explosive—two veterans trading “fuck yeah” looks across the stage like teenagers who just discovered their first power chord. This isn’t nostalgia; it’s resurrection.
The new material absolutely soars live. “Behind the Veil” (Kennedy’s personal favorite) starts like a bluesy ballad before the main riff kicks in and hits like a freight train, and the reworked cuts from Year of the Tiger proved that even his acoustic numbers can grow fangs when plugged in. What’s even more interesting it that Kennedy’s doing it all with a power trio. No smoke and mirrors, no army of guitarists to hide behind. Just one man wielding his axe like he’s got something to prove, while somehow maintaining that otherworldly voice that makes even the best metal singers sound like choir boys.
The packed house clearly caught Kennedy off guard. Sure, he’s used to arenas with Alter Bridge, but this was his show, his rules, his triumph. Between songs, he’d pause, soaking in the moment with genuine surprise at the rapturous response. News flash, Myles: the UK’s been in your corner all along.
Opening act Devin Townsend proved the perfect appetizer, stripping down his usually massive sound for an acoustic set that was equal parts confessional, comedy club, and masterclass. Fresh off his own career peak with PowerNerd, Townsend’s self-deprecating humor and raw talent set the stage perfectly for what would become a night of musical redemption.
The Art of Letting Go demolishes everything Kennedy has done in his solo career, finally delivering that raw energy we’ve craved since The Mayfield Four days. Tonight proved Kennedy’s done playing it safe—he’s back to setting fires.
DEVIN TOWNSEND