Jalen Ngonda @ O2 Academy, Leeds – 1st November 2026
Words and Photos – John Hayhurst
For much of Sunday night, the date inside Leeds’ O2 Academy might as well have been 1972. Jalen Ngonda’s extraordinary falsetto and immaculate band transported the room to soul’s golden age. Originally booked for Project House, this stop on the Doctrine of Love tour had been upgraded to meet demand. On this evidence, his rise looks set to continue.
Brooke Combe made a fitting opening act. Performing as a two-piece with a guitarist, the Scottish singer-songwriter gave her soulful voice plenty of space in the stripped-back arrangements. With second album Too Late for Tears due on 5 March 2027 via Fontana Records, following last year’s debut Dancing at the Edge of the World, this was a timely reminder to keep her on the radar.
Before Ngonda appeared, a fainting incident in the crowd caused a false start. Once proceedings resumed, the entrance was beautifully smooth: the band established ‘Burning Temptation’, Ngonda walked on, picked up his guitar and slipped straight into the song without a break.
The audience spanned generations, from seasoned soul lovers in their seventies to couples in their twenties. Downstairs was a sea of standing fans, while the seating was fully occupied. Ngonda’s music clearly speaks across that age range, its familiar musical language carried by a remarkable contemporary voice.
Drums, keys, percussion and bass formed a wonderfully tight foundation, but the two female backing singers made the biggest difference since we last caught him in York earlier this year. Their harmonies lifted the songs, giving the arrangements extra richness and making those soaring lead vocals feel even more expansive.
There is something of Smokey Robinson in Ngonda’s delivery, alongside the high, yearning sweetness associated with Russell Thompkins Jnr of The Stylistics. Occasional flashes of Prince and James Brown surfaced in his guitar playing and mannerisms. Mostly, he let the singing do the work, standing relatively still before swinging his guitar behind his back to seize the microphone. His gruff shouts of “LEEDS!” were an amusing change from that silken falsetto.
His second album, Doctrine of Love, released in June, supplied nine songs, with seven drawn from his debut, Come Around and Love Me. The title track was a particular pleasure, while opener ‘Burning Temptation’ had already demonstrated how comfortably the newer material sits within his growing catalogue.
Unreleased song ‘Taste’ brought a lovely piece of theatre. As it began, a huge disco ball scattered shapes around the room, prompting cheers and delighted oohs. With Bonfire Night still a few days away, Leeds was getting its sparkle early. The effect perfectly suited the evening’s seventies atmosphere.
Yet the standout moment needed only Ngonda and a piano. Alone for ‘Taken Out of the Picture’, he delivered a performance that raised goosebumps. With the full arrangement stripped away, the beauty and emotional pull of his voice were even more striking. It was the evening’s most affecting few minutes.
After introducing the band, he closed the main set with ‘Hang It on the Shelf’, another favourite from the new album and a glorious way to send everyone into the encore break.
Returning, Ngonda joked that he was contractually obliged to play two more songs. ‘All About Me’ saw him take the microphone and roam the stage with James Brown swagger, before he returned to his guitar for ‘If You Don’t Want My Love’.
The move to a larger Leeds venue made perfect sense. With those backing singers adding so much and his voice in astonishing form, Ngonda delivered a show worthy of the demand.
Soul this good deserves a bigger audience still.