Armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar and bathed in a single spotlight, Kristian Matsson – better known as The Tallest Man On Earth – took to the stage at the packed Rosemount Hotel to cheers from the eager crowd. Although his introduction was soft-spoken and subdued, his performance was anything but, as he picked his way through the introduction to ‘I Won’t Be Found’ and launched into the song with confidence, his vocals perfectly matching those on record. Without a moment’s pause after the last notes rang out, Kristian began strumming the introduction to crowd favourite ‘The Gardener’ and led those in attendance through an energetic sing-along, the last line of the song being wailed back at him by the audience.
During the slower songs (‘Love Is All’, ‘Like The Wheel’), the power and earnestness of Matsson’s incredible voice was most apparent, and the Rosemount Hotel was the perfect venue for his intimate folk music, as his voice cut through the stillness of a crowd in reverent silence and reached every corner of the packed building. His skill with his acoustic guitar was jaw-dropping too, and seeing Matsson fingerpick his way through the likes of ‘Troubles Will Be Gone’ and ‘The Drying of the Lawns’ while simultaneously keeping the audience hanging on his every word was, quite-frankly, awe-inspiring.
The most memorable moment of the night however, was definitely The Tallest Man’s roaring sing-along of ‘King of Spain’ which had members of the audience moving along with Matsson, who was dancing a merry jig on stage. He closed his set with a surprise version of ‘Like The Wheel’ on piano, and a cover of Jackson Browne’s ‘These Days’, which was a slow and soulful way to round out an intimate night with The Tallest Man On Earth.
Album rules, get it.
