Tallest Man on Earth

Kristian Matsson, otherwise known as The Tallest Man on Earth leaps out onto KOKO’s stage. Not remotely intimidated by the sold out theatre which surrounds him and his band, he’s here to let off some steam.

Much of the evening is dedicated to his new record, Dark Bird Is Home, which is played in full and commands a previously unneeded backing band. In doing so, The Tallest Man on Earth captivates the room, which is packed to the rafters while looking as comfortable as when he is a solitary force.

Six tracks in and the backing band departs, leaving Matsson alone to revisit his roots. With this contrast his music feels even more naked than it once did and without their backing he can only rely on his distinctively powerful voice and intricate guitar playing. He plays the stunning ‘Love is All’ and ‘The Gardener’, causing a buzz in the crowd and ushering in the first major sing-alongs of the night. It sets the stage for the remainder of the gig, but it’s not long before his band is back by his side, heading back into unfamiliar territory.

It’s the effortless transformation from singer-songwriter, to band leader that underlines his skill. Packing relentless energy, he buzzes around the stage like a blue-arsed fly, playing an array of guitars with dazzling complexity and clearly revelling in the duties as front-man. It’s a change he’s making with ease – and it’s great to watch. This is no truer than in the new release’s title track ‘Dark Bird Is Home’, which displays the difference in styles within one song, building from soft melodic folk to a multi-instrument crescendo.

Following protests in Northern France, they’re lucky to even grace the stage. He announces how they had been stuck in Calais and were dangerously close to missing the opportunity. Thankfully they made it, but are forced to play without a sound check or a warm-up. It doesn’t show. The performance is tight, the sound is superb and the chemistry between the band is brilliant for a musician who spent so long performing alone. In fact, the night actually seems to be the perfect release following an otherwise hellish day for the swede and his comrades.

A heckler repeatedly calls for him to play fan favourite ‘King of Spain’, to which he declines, eventually responding, “We have a few more songs to play for you tonight, and if you want, they can all be called ‘The King of Spain’”. It’s not played. It seems that this is a track that he has dropped in search of his new direction. He sticks to his guns and it’s a brilliant response to a slightly awkward situation. The audience are more than satisfied with the tracks which take its stead, seeing him and his band off with huge cheers.

It’s a period of flux for the erstwhile solo-man, and when he returns to the UK in October, fans will be more expectant for a fuller, richer sound. Be sure to check it out.

He played:

• Fields of Our Home

• Slow Dance

• 1904

• Singers

• Darkness of the Dream

• Love Is All

• The Gardener

• Weather of a Killing Kind

• Sagres

• The Wild Hunt

• Timothy

• Revelation Blues

• Wind and Walls

• A Lion's Heart

• Little Nowhere Towns

• Beginners

• Dark Bird is Home

• The Dreamer

• Like the Wheel