Kae Tempest Ignites A Quiet Revolution At Manchester’s Albert Hall
- Michael Bond
- Nov 11
- 3 min read
Albert Hall - Manchester - 10th November 2025
WORDS / IMAGES MICHAEL BOND
In a night of raw lyricism and shared reflection, Kae Tempest transforms Manchester’s Albert Hall into a sanctuary of honesty and hope. As we are treated to a journey from spoken-word beginnings to a Mercury-nominated artist.
The evening opens gently with Jacob Alon, standing beneath the hall’s vast rose window armed only with an acoustic guitar and soft lighting. His set unfolds like a meditation, weaving ambient textures from various inflections, drawn in by his trembling falsetto and looping harmonies. There’s a clear thread between Alon’s introspection and Tempest’s, a shared fascination with fragility, endurance and truth. Through the 2025 Mercury nominated artists set, you can hear a pin drop from one ethereal and haunting song to the next.
By the time he closes the set, his sound has filled every corner of the venue. It’s an understated but captivating performance, one that leaves the room initially breaking into applause and then suspended in calm.
As the lights dip, the show opens with “Holy Elixir”, a hypnotic rhythm that rolls like a prayer. With only percussion on the stage, Tempest’s voice cuts through the dark as the visual focus stays empty. Part way through the track and without ceremony, Kae Tempest steps up onto the stage and into the light. No spectacle, no preamble, just presence. Tempest’s delivery is precise and physical, with each word hanging in the air.
“Priority Boredom” surges next, restless and sharp, followed by “The Beigeness”, a fan favourite shouted back word for word. The crowd’s energy lifts instantly with a shared defiance against mediocrity.
When “Salt Coast” begins, the tempo softens. Tempest’s voice turns reflective, tracing love, loss and landscape. “We Die” follows, with the lyrics “we die, and that’s the truth that makes us try”, hanging heavy in the air. The warmth of “Firesmoke” changes the temperature of the room as strangers sway in the rhythm. Then “Move” and “More Pressure” hit back-to-back, a double shot of energy that has the floor shaking and the crowd erupting at the close. The hall collectively exhales as “People’s Faces” begins, as its piano motif and hopeful refrain turn the venue into a choir.
Mid-set, Tempest delves into the reflective heart of the performance with “I Stand on the Line”, “Statue in the Square”, and “Know Yourself”, as the pace slows. “Sunshine on Catford” lightens the tone, evoking the warmth of everyday life. But the calm is brief; “Bless the Bold Future” and “Prayers to Whisper” reignite the political pulse as the beats grow industrial, and the words strike like a manifesto. With “Diagnoses” and “Hyperdistillation”, Tempest turns introspective again. One is a raw confession, the other an existential unraveling.
As the set draws towards its close, “Forever” softens the edges, feeling like the calm after the storm. Then comes the final three: “Breathe”, “Till Morning”, and “Freedom”. “Breathe” is almost whispered, a plea for calm amid chaos. “Till Morning” extends that idea, urging resilience. And “Freedom”, a George Michael cover brings the night to a close. This ending drifts into pure joy as the crowd sings along to every word. When it ends, Tempest stands still, eyes lowered, and simply says, “Thank you.” It’s the perfect closing gesture: humility after transcendence.
Tonight’s show is minimal, with simple projections showing EQ visuals and scrolling lyrics, but none is needed. The sound is flawless, vocals clear and commanding with the live drums grounding every line. Tempest speaks between songs with an honest conversational tone, never performative.
As someone who has changed and grown over the years, laying their feeling bare. Tonight show, and Tempest’s new album documents the highs and the lows, resulting is a performance that feels less like a concert and more like personal and collective therapy.
Setlist:
1. Holy Elixir
2. Priority Boredom
3. The Beigeness
4. Salt Coast
5. We Die
6. Firesmoke
7. Move
8. More Pressure
9. People's Faces
10. I Stand on the Line
11. Statue in the Square
12. Know Yourself
13. Sunshine on Catford
14. Bless the Bold Future
15. Prayers to Whisper
16. Diagnoses
17. Hyperdistillation
18. Forever
19. Breathe
20. Till Morning
21. Grace
22. Freedom (George Michael cover)
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