Words: Diletta Lobuono
Swedish songwriter The Tallest Man On Earth, real name Kristian Matsson, is much better live than in the studio. Watching him jumping around with his guitar, pouring his heart out and listening to his hauntingly beautiful and raw voice live is an experience you won’t easily forget, as proven by his performance at the Eventim Apollo on the 6th of November. It wasn’t the first time I had seen him, but I was still very excited –probably too much. I had seen him earlier this year at the music festival All Points East in London’s Victoria Park, and he had astonished me, my face probably mirroring the expression of all the other people around me: lovestruck.
Matsson released his fifth album I Love You. It’s a Fever Dream. in April this year. A painful exploration of the complications and banalities of tour life, I Love You is a personal, revealing work, characterised by lyrical themes and beautiful melodies, made of the guitar riffs, harmonica melodies and banjo solos that make his music so recognizable. For this album, though, the Swedish songwriter ventured into new, more adventurous territory, using new instruments and drawing on different music genres and influences.He is currently touring around Europe, presenting his latest creation to the adoring crowds which, so far, has been incredibly successful and rewarding: something that Matsson likes to tell his audience.
The only date of the tour in London, at the beautiful Eventim Apollo, was magical. Matsson is an experienced and skilful showman, and you can immediately tell. The atmosphere becomes ethereal right away, and you catch your breath every time his hands leave the strings of his guitars, his inseparable companions, as they start to move in the air, casting a spell on the already-spellbound audience.
At 9 o’clock sharp, the stage is plunged into darkness, then white lights raise as Matsson takes his time, repeatedly bowing forward over the lip of the stage to rapturous applause. People already love and call for him, throwing the occasional “you’re amazing!” at him, something that he seems to enjoy a lot. He opens with a song from the new album, Waiting for my Ghost, and then dives head first into a two hour one-man show, a real challenge when you are completely alone on the stage. It is immediately clear to everyone that he doesn’t need anyone else up there.
His songs are interspersed with random monologues – how much he loves London; how his 60-year-old Brooklyn neighbour cured a case of writer’s block; how divorces are a fantastic source of inspiration for a songwriter; and how most of his merchandise was ruined in a near-fatal car accident just a few days before. He also jokes with a heckler, his affable charm slipping just for a second when the man in question persistently keeps shouting over a song. You are left wondering how much of what he is saying is true, but the spell will break only at the very end of the show when the stage is finally empty and the crowd starts to leave.
The setlist was a mixture of the new and the old, including some of the best fan favourites from the previous albums, such as There’s No Leaving Now (2012), The Wild Hunt (2010) and Shallow Grave (2008). You can easily tell that the audience grows visibly excited when the first notes of Matsson’s older songs start playing and, if I have to be honest, I do too.
Unsurprisingly, Matsson closes the show to a lengthy standing ovation. Ever the showman, he returns to the stage for three more songs, a cover of Paul Simon’s Graceland, the upbeat The Wild Hunt and the heartbreaking There’s No Leaving Now played on the piano – the stage in total darkness, leaving only his face and arms illuminated.
A beautiful way to end a beautiful show.
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