On Friday 2nd June, 2023, Miller Blue’s soothing tones resonated around All Four Studios in Manchester signalling the start of the second show of a four part debut headline UK tour. The alt-R&B artist couldn’t have wished for a better setting to showcase his new EP 4 Degrees of Separation, released in May 2023. All Four is a bright, clean venue, with acoustics perfectly complementing his soulful sound, and an outdoors area practically begging the audience to enjoy a pre-gig pint in the sun.
4 Degrees of Separation explores the stages of a relationship, “from infatuation and lust to love and trust, from heartbreak and heartache, and to self love and healing.” Miller Blue’s warm vocals blend seamlessly with softly strummed chords, short riffs, easygoing percussion, smooth sax, and sonorous backing vocals. From the loudest lyric to the quietest tap of a snare, Miller Blue puts his heart and soul into his music. Can we blame him for seeming a little emotional when performing it live?
The atmosphere at a live music event is one that can never be replicated in an album, and the same can be said of my experience at All Four. Despite using a backing track rather than a live band, the sound was immersive, the mood relaxed. When not singing, Miller Blue spoke openly and honestly, transitioning well between carefree, upbeat tracks to melancholy ones, cracking jokes, showing his anxiety at playing guitar on stage, and expressing gratitude at having an audience to fill the room at all. His fans were clearly besotted – from the young boy at the front with wide eyes glued to the stage, not missing a lyric, to the happy friend group, dancing during the faster songs, swaying during the slow ones, to the content couple holding hands at the back, Miller Blue held his audience captive from start to finish.
Harnessing an effortlessly powerful stage presence and a versatile discography, Miller Blue puts on a performance anyone can enjoy. Even with no prior knowledge of the music, a Miller Blue gig is certainly not a bad way to spend an evening. The UK tour wrapped up in London on June 9th, but judging by his performance of a new, unreleased song in Manchester, we can expect plenty more in the coming months.
Listen to Miller Blue’s EP 4 Degrees of Separation out now.