Jalen Ngonda + Brooke Combe. Two extraordinary voices. One glorious celebration of soul at Manchester Academy
Manchester Academy, 2nd November 2026
WORDS PAUL EVANS / IMAGES PAUL EVANS
Jalen Ngonda + Brooke Combe.
Two extraordinary voices. One glorious celebration of soul and a Manchester Academy crowd that knows it's witnessed something special.
There's something a little comforting about walking into a venue and discovering that great soul music is alive and kicking. No unnecessary gimmicks or elaborate distractions. Just extraordinary voices and beautifully crafted songs and with Jalen Ngonda and Brooke Combe sharing tonight's bill, Manchester is about to get two of contemporary soul's finest talents for the price of one.
There's usually an unwritten rule about support acts. The venue gradually fills, people drift between the bar and merchandise stand, chat too their mates and whoever's warming things up receives polite applause. Tonight, somebody clearly forgot to tell Manchester that this is the norm. By the time Brooke Combe appears, the Academy is well packed. Not just a respectable early turnout, but the sort of crowd you'd expect for the headliner. And Brookes response? Strip everything back to its essentials, no full band or elaborate production, just Brooke, a guitarist and one hell of a voice. It's a brave approach in a venue this size, but within seconds she's got the audience's undivided attention. Her vocals possess that glorious combination of smoky warmth, rough-edged soul and vulnerability, with the understated guitar accompaniment leaving every vocal inflection exposed.
Opener 'Tears Won't Lie' is beautifully restrained, Brooke allowing the melody to breathe rather than overwhelming it with unnecessary vocal gymnastics. 'Dancing at the Edge of the World' brings a more infectious rhythmic rhythm, while 'Pieces' demonstrates a beautiful move between tenderness and determination without sacrificing an ounce of emotional intensity. The crowd lap it up. A cover of Barbara Lynn's 'You're Losing Me' is inspired with plenty of lyric singing and mouthing going on around me. Covering a soul classic can be dangerous territory, but with Brooke it isn't imitation, it's interpretation. I had shivers as she balanced the heartbreak and defiance of the classic while making the song unmistakably her own.
For me, one of the set's most memorable moments comes with the final song, the stunning 'How Can I Tell You?'. I initially wonder whether it might lose some of its power without the full band, but Brooke has other ideas. Teaching the crowd the chorus, she transforms what could have been an intimate, stripped-back performance into something genuinely spine-tingling. Suddenly, 100s of voices join the two musicians onstage, turning Manchester Academy into one enormous soul choir. It's a glorious instant of collective participation, revealing that sometimes the most powerful instrument in the room is the audience itself.
It's a stunning set and confirms what many of us already suspected: Brooke won't be occupying support slots for much longer. What makes Brooke particularly impressive tonight is her complete lack of pretension. Her stage presence is relaxed, her performance uncomplicated, and the crowd responds with sincere warmth and love. There's an unmistakable sense that people haven't simply arrived early in order to secure a decent position; they've come specifically to see her. I've seen plenty of support acts over the years, but rarely somebody who looks and sounds quite so ready to headline a venue of this size themselves. If this is what Manchester is getting before the main event, Jalen Ngonda has quite a challenge ahead of him.
Some artists walk onstage and immediately command attention. Jalen Ngonda not only does this, but he also seems to bring his own atmosphere with him. There's a glow, almost a glow, surrounding his entire persona. Call it charisma, call it star quality, call it whatever you like. I can only describe it as a soul glow. Soul seems to drip from every pore; from the way he carries himself to his instinctive connection with the music. And then there's the voice. Wow. The voice. Soaring falsettos, rich lower registers and extraordinary control evoke the golden age of Motown and Stax. There are shades of Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Curtis Mayfield, but Ngonda is no retro impersonator. He genuinely belongs to that extraordinary musical lineage while sounding entirely himself.
Tonight's full-band arrangements provide a clear contrast to Combe's intimate opening set. Where she relied on restraint, Jalen has a rhythm section and instrumental exchange that give his songs irresistible momentum. Opener 'Burning Temptation' establishes the mood instantly. Its bass and drums locking together beneath Ngonda's effortless vocal delivery. It's tight, infectious and immediately gets the Academy moving. 'Hannah, What's the Matter?' exhibits outstanding vocal dexterity, moving between clipped rhythmic phrasing and soaring falsetto with astonishing ease. He doesn't simply reproduce the recordings; he stretches melodies, alters their emphasis and makes every line feel spontaneous.
'Just as Long as We're Together' creates a warmer, more romantic atmosphere, its mellow rhythmic rhythm and beautifully judged arrangement allowing his voice to take centre stage. 'Just Like You Used To' follows in similarly impressive fashion, its vintage influences given new energy by the band. And that's what makes this performance so compelling. The music might borrow its vocabulary from another era, but there's nothing remotely museum-like about it. These songs sound vibrant, immediate and completely at home in a packed Manchester Academy.
'Good Good Love' injects another burst of energy, its infectious rhythm spreading through the crowd. There's movement everywhere, heads nodding, bodies swaying and voices joining familiar melodies. The atmosphere feels like a celebration with the audience responding to every shift in tempo. The band are just as impressive. Nobody indulges in unnecessary grandstanding; every bassline, drumbeat and instrumental flourish serves the song allowing Ngonda's extraordinary voice to remain the focus.
'Illusions' changes the mood, its subtler passages highlighting remarkable control. A held note, a slight hesitation or a delicate shift into falsetto communicates more than any elaborate vocal display could achieve. While 'Rapture' moves things into more dramatic territory, Ngonda's voice gliding above the instrumentation as the atmosphere becomes almost euphoric. For a few minutes, the Academy appears less like a university concert venue and more like some glorious mid 60s soul revue. And I mean that as the highest possible compliment.
By 'I Need You', the audience is completely under his spell. The song's infectious groove and emotional directness encapsulate everything that makes Ngonda such a captivating performer. The connection between stage and crowd is unmistakeable, with the Academy responding as though every song is a personal favourite. And the remarkable thing? There isn’t a weak moment.
The encore, 'If You Don't Want My Love' provides a glorious conclusion to a stunning performance. Its irresistible rhythm and familiar melodic hooks give the crowd one final opportunity to surrender to the music. Ngonda's falsetto soars, the band drives everything forward, and the Academy responds with an enormous wave of passion. It's a fitting finale to a performance that has combined such technical brilliance with true emotional connection.
Walking away from Manchester Academy, I'm struck by just how exceptional tonight's double bill has been. Brooke Combe delivered a performance worthy of headliner status, while Jalen Ngonda demonstrated why he's among the most exciting soul singers of his generation. But what makes tonight unforgettable isn't simply the quality of the performances. It's the atmosphere. A venue packed from the opening act, 100s of people singing together, cheering and responding to music that owes more to the golden age of soul than contemporary fashion. There's no irony, no nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, and certainly no need for gimmicks. Just exceptional artists making music that connects directly with an audience.
I've witnessed some distinguished performances over the years, but there's something genuinely electrifying about watching tonight’s artists command a packed venue with nothing more than extraordinary talent, irresistible songs and sheer charisma. Forget the idea that soul's greatest days are confined to dusty vinyl collections along with the ghosts of Motown's past. Manchester Academy has just witnessed two artists proving that its future is every bit as exciting as its history. Wow.
SETLISTS
JALEN NGONDA
Burning Temptation
Hannah, What’s the Matter?
Just as Long as We're Together
What a Difference She Made
Just Like You Used To
Love Is Gone
Doctrine of Love
Taste
Good, Good Love
Illusions
Please Show Me
Rapture
Taken Out of the Picture
That’s All I Wanted from You
Anyone in Love
Mr. Train Conductor
I Need You
Come Around and Love Me
Hang It on the Shelf
All About Me
If You Don't Want My Love
BROOK COMBE
Tears Won't Lie
Dancing at the Edge of the World
Pieces
You’re Losing Me
Price to Pay
Passing Faces
Love Was Made of Stone
8. How Can I Tell You? (To Love Me More) FOLLOW JALEN NGONDA
FOLLOW BROOKE COMBE
SETLIST
Wicked Ways
Birdsong
Long Lost Child
(Celebrate) The Day After You
It Doesn't Have to Be This Way
Choice?
Out With Her
Said Too Much
Time Storm
You Don't Own Me
Digging Your Scene
Wait
The Wild River
ENCORE
I Backed a Winner (In You)
Superfly
CONNECT WITH THE BLOW MONKEYS
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