It’s been a busy year for Kuill. Appearances on The Voice, singing the national anthem at Twickenham and producing a new album have been just some of his achievements. Fragile Creatures, Kuill’s second album, went on sale on the 4 November.
Saturday 30 November saw what was described as a Press Night at Leeds Conservatoire to launch the album. This was not only about the press. The sold-out show was packed with Kuill’s family, fellow musicians and fans. It was a celebration of a momentous year, musical regeneration and the relationships that make life worthwhile.
As I held the lift for another latecomer (the evening had just seen my first ever visit to floor 9 of Trinity to find a parking space) I was asked by a dressed-up older woman if I was here to see Curtis. In the lobby and bar, everyone was talking about Curtis, Kuill’s birth name. This was a very personal event.
My slightly late arrival was not an issue – Ryan Smith was about to take to the stage as support. Leeds-based Smith was clearly pleased to be asked to support his friend. His simple love songs were a gentle introduction to the night. Although it was his Frog Song, a comic lyric penned when he was a primary school teacher, that left me smiling at the end of the set.
Kuill had asked lots of musician friends to join him for the night. A number made guest appearances, and at times the stage held 16 performers. Thankfully, the Conservatoire has a large, flexible stage that could cope with two drum kits, two keyboards and a piano alongside a host of musicians and backing singers. At one point Kuill joked ‘Everyone has a double here.’
The main act started with a video of clips from Kuill’s life to date; from baby snaps through authentic recordings of him singing at age 6 and 13. Clips of him performing in, and winning, the TV boy band show Let it Shine in 2017, leading to a two year tour and 700 performances. Then came photos of his adopted son, rugby coach husband and wider family. We reached 2024 with footage of his appearance on The Voice and singing the National Anthem at a Twickenham international match in November.
The programme had told us this would be a performance about parenthood, relationships and the fact we are all ‘one day away from our delicate fragility being exposed and shattered’. Yet the concentration on people and relationships was often given a cosmic dimension. Song titles included Man on the Moon, Supernova and Party on Pluto, while three planets hung over the stage and Kuill was dwarfed by a large space suit.
Lost on Dione was another space reference, referring to one of Saturn’s moons. This song from the new fragile Creatures album was for me the standout performance of the evening. More pared back than most of the music, it presented a poignant and powerful view of parenthood. The line, ‘Now that I am a teacher for my own fragile creature It scares me that you might feel pain,’ stayed with me long after the performance.
It was respect for Gary Barlow that led Kuill to enter Let It Shine and he continues to be an artist who acknowledges musical influences. The programme talked of channelling Emili Sande, a Dua Lipa style song in ‘Everything and Nothing’ and the influence of Brandon Flowers / The Killers. There was a cover of ‘Out of Reach’ which has been praised and shared by Gabrielle herself. In a tribute to George Michael, he was joined by AJ Bentley, a fellow band member from Let It Shine.
Most of the performers had links to Leeds. Kuill had met the accomplished actor and musical theatre performer Myles Crossley when he was busking in Morley. Marc Johnston, who joined the band on piano and synth, on the other hand, had met Kuill when the singer had been on holiday in Lanzarote, where he still plays piano. His piano playing shone in Party on Pluto, a late addition to the set in recognition of its entry into the Icelandic charts.
At times, I felt there was just too much going on. In wanting to invite as many musicians as possible to perform with him, individual lyrics and performances were sometimes lost. Having listened to the title track Fragile Creatures on the album, I like the lyrics but I missed a lot of them during Saturday’s performance. The songs that worked best for me were when a smaller group performed, such as the rendition of Where Love Lies with guitarist Toby Pearson, a song they first performed thirteen years previously when Pearson was a student at the Conservatoire.
There were some very skilled performers on stage. Kuill has great backing singers in Laura Erby, Rhyanne Woodbine, Nathan King and Isaac Mulundo. They harmonised well together and with Kuill., Regular drummer Bryn Jenkins was joined by sixteen-year-old local drummer, Alex Hemingway. Band regulars: bassist Matias Reed, Tom Baker on guitar and synth and Tyler Smith on keyboards, were joined by Bianca Blezard on violin and Tim Hutton on brass. In many ways, the evening was a celebration of local talent as much as Kuill’s music.
Alongside using the evening as a platform for his music, and a showcase for other artists, Kuill invited audience members to donate toys or money to support local children at Christmas. Toys could be brought to the performance, donation buckets were on hand and you can still donate through his Cash for Kids page below. This was one of the most family-friendly gigs I have ever attended. Children were welcome in the audience and the merch stall included soft toys wearing Kuill T-shirts.
The evening finished with an encore performance of Prince’s Purple Rain, a good choice as this was a song that did allow every musician to play a full part without the audience feeling overloaded. A joyful end to a concert with a real celebratory feel.
https://www.kuill.uk/
https://www.cashforkidsgive.co.uk/campaign/mission-christmas-2024-fundraising-north-west-
yorkshire/fundraisers/cameron-kuill/
