Live Review: Passenger, Stu Larson

With “a song about a man who lived in New Zealand a hundred years ago”, Queensland's Stu Larsen opened up the evening with songwriting and guitar skills that will no doubt see his name amongst some of the greatest one day. “I'd like to play a song I stole from another band,” Larsen joked, and a cheer went up in the crowd. “You may have heard of them, they're called One Direction.” The crowd roared, then with a sheepish grin he admitted that it was actually Fix You by Coldplay. Punters were no less excited, but he still offered up an apology for those in the crowd that may have been genuinely excited.

Then the moment everyone had been waiting for arrived - Mike Rosenberg, better know these days as Passenger, ambled on stage, guitar in hand. As he it was his final Australian show before he packed up and returned to the UK, it was no doubt going to be an emotional night. But, he insisted, if it appeared that he was becoming emotional on stage it wasn't tears, rather sweat in his eyes. Sure thing Mike.

During opener Feather On The Clyde, the room was so still that you could hear the person next to you breathing. This wasn't lost on Rosenberg, who urged anyone who felt the desire to shout out to do so. Falsetto screams of “I LOVE YOU” were heard repeatedly throughout the room, before one in a very solid baritone stopped him in his tracks. After laughing he picked up right where he left off like a true professional. Inviting us all into the depths of his personal life through his songs, Passenger invited Larsen on stage to end the night off beautifully with some crowd participation, before putting his guitar in its case, packing his suitcase and bidding farewell to the country. Until next time, Rosenberg.