Lenny the rebel still rules
Lenny Kravitz has always stuck to his own beat. He grew up in Sixties New York, around luminaries such as Duke Ellington and Miles Davis, and was influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. At the start of his career in the Eighties, industry heads told him his music wasn’t “black enough” or “white enough” and encouraged him to follow the path of contemporary R&B. Kravitz held true to his unique blend of psychedelia, funk and soul. Thirty years since his debut album,
Let Love Rule, Kravitz still displays the undiminished fury of his youth. He hasn’t aged a day, and still sounds like no one else, maintaining a level of cool and creativity while vehemently keeping that bohemian spirit alive.
His Wembley gig marked the last of a trio of UK dates on his world tour, his first performances in Britain since 2014. The tour itself, for his 11th album, Raise Vibration, out in September, is also the first time Kravitz has played an album in concert before releasing it – a risk, perhaps, but it seems that a four-year hiatus writing at his beachfront Bahamian home has revitalised the 54-year-old. New tracks Low and It’s Enough are smooth, the latter a protest song taking in environmental disaster and the abuse of political power.
In his uniform of denim jacket, sunglasses and black leather flares, occasionally revealing a snakeskin Cuban heel, he appeared on a podium to the beckoning ostinato of his 1998 hit Fly Away. He soon followed with the mainstream roar of American Woman. With the stage bathed in yellow light and Kravitz nonchalantly flicking plectrums into the audience, he segued into Bob Marley’s Get Up, Stand Up, his brass ensemble swaying to the cool Caribbean beat.
There was ample rock posturing. At one point, Kravitz almost licked the microphone – not necessarily a bad thing since it helped emphasise that distinct, throaty drawl of his, which at times slipped seamlessly into falsetto.
Nevertheless, Kravitz remains relatively free of ego, letting each member of his band have a moment to shine before slotting back into the song. Guitarist Craig Ross, in lilac flares, was on hand for incendiary guitar solos, while Harold Todd wooed with his syrupy sax, and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey gave plenty of slap to Always on the Run.
With his Gibson Flying V strapped to his chest, Kravitz remains the ultimate symbol of rebellion and frantic energy. During the encore, he announced: “I got to get me some of this,” as he snaked his way through the audience, climbing up to sing and conduct his love revolution mantra from the top tier. Mesmerised by the man and his music, the crowd, with arms aloft, knew this was something special.