Live: Kongos @ Islington Academy, London.

by | Nov 10, 2016

American rhythm specialists Kongos brought their mighty and fascinating sound to London. On the day after the US presidential election in which Donald J Trump was chosen as the 45th President of the USA, they rocked into town in a shocked state. They are all brothers and share the family name, Kongos.

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Kongos at Islington Academy, London (Simon Jay Price)

In their stage shows the band are happy to include their many influences whether it be kwaito dance from South Africa or qawwali from Pakistan and their music does take in a lot of global styles and beats.

It is easy to make comparisons with others who have done this type of thing before, including their own father John Kongos and obviously Paul Simon but something else is going on here.

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Jesse Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Each song is like a tribal dance that has its own moves and meanings, the drum playing and percussion of Jesse Kongos accentuate that. This group don’t play the whole concert in common time, let alone a whole song, often changing the time signature a few times throughout. It is clever but uncomplicated music.

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Dylan Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

The new album Egomaniac takes up most of the set list and they open with Repeat After Me and Underground. By the fourth song in you get a clear idea of what this band is about. They are all such accomplished musicians  that Daniel, Dylan and Jesse take it in turns to share lead vocals impressing with their vocal ranges and songwriting.

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Daniel Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

The middle of the gig is given over to a cover of The Beatles’ Get Back, as funky as it comes with an blistering bass line and a guest spot for tour manager turned rapper Mo Gordon. What follows this is a faithful version of John Kongos’ (their father) 1970s tale of the evil water spirit who gets blamed for all mishaps, Tokoloshe Man. 

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Johnny Kongos is the eldest of the four brothers and a pianist and accordionist. Classically trained his melodies compliment each song and their global hit Come With Me Now is an awesome example as he leads off with zydeco style playing and the rest of the band join in the song to hit frenzied heights as the chorus is sung out by everyone in the room.

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

The bands two most recent albums Lunatic and Egomaniac have a spiritual feel to them and indirectly have hints of mythicality and legend running through them.  The songs I’m Only Joking and set closer Escape are great examples of this with chant like storytelling giving way to one of their quieter and subtler tunes.

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

Kongos at Islington O2 (Simon Jay Price)

As a post industrial head banger version of New Order‘s Blue Monday plays out as the encore, two things strike me. One, is how awesome Kongos are as songwriters, musicians and performers and two, why are they not bigger than they are!

Words and Photography by Simon Jay Price. Kongos at Islington Academy, London on 9th November 2016.


The Zipheads launch a Rock’n’Roll Renaissance on Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th is, of course, the perfect day for The Zipheads to launch their much awaited third album Rock‘n’Roll...
Sophie Lloyd @ Download Festival XXII - Saturday (Simon Reed)

Saturday In Photos At Download Festival XXII

As Download XXII roared into its second full day, Saturday continued the weekend's adrenaline-fuelled ride with...
Charli xcx @ Lido Festival 2025 (Henry Redcliffe)

Charli xcx’s ‘PARTYGIRL’ Rules The Night At LIDO Festival 2025 — A Euphoric Takeover In East London

East London was ablaze with brat energy on Saturday night as Charli xcx delivered a genre-defying, euphoric headline...
Green Day @ Download Festival XXII - Friday (Simon Reed)

Friday In Photos At Download Festival XXII

The sun rose over Donington Park as Download XXII launched into its first full day of music on Friday, setting the...
Roger Daltrey with The Who - Teenage Cancer Trust @ Royal Albert Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Roger Daltrey Awarded Knighthood for Services To Music And Charity

Roger Daltrey, legendary frontman of The Who and lifelong champion of young people facing cancer, has officially been awarded a Knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours list for 2025. The honour recognises not only his groundbreaking contributions to British music, but also his tireless work with Teenage Cancer Trust, the charity he has helped elevate to national prominence over the past three decades.

Sophie Grey @ Heilbronn (Kevin Ford)

Sophie Grey Brings ‘Retro Electro’ To The Big Stage With Sting Collab And New Music Video

Armed with a keytar, a singular sonic aesthetic, and an unapologetic love for retro-electro vibes, Sophie Grey is carving her place on the global stage — one synth-heavy track at a time. This summer, the rising artist has not only opened arena shows across Europe but has also shared the stage with none other than Sting, adding her signature flair to performances of The Police classic Spirits In The Material World on his 3.0 tour.

Fiaa Hamilton (Adam Brazier)

Fiaa Hamilton Celebrates Birthday With Empowering New Single ‘Nothing Is Perfect’

Rising pop powerhouse Fiaa Hamilton continues her skyward trajectory with the release of her bold and emotionally resonant new single Nothing Is Perfect, arriving just in time to mark her birthday. The track sees Fiaa cement her growing status as one of 2025’s most compelling new voices in pop, following a breakout year that’s included a New Faces For 2025 nod from The Sun and a performance at TikTok’s Live Fest alongside Jason Derulo and Zara Larsson at London’s iconic Roundhouse.

The Sons Of Guns (Cléa Margaret)

The Sons Of Guns Bring Modern Sunshine To ’70s Folk-Rock With Radiant Debut EP ‘You Shine The Sun’

Emerging from the sun-drenched hills of Nice with roots stretching back to Doncaster and even Bombay, genre-blurring...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing