Live Review: The Tallest Man On Earth, Gordi

Keys drone, cymbals are struck using mallets then Gordi (as the drumhead reads) sings and plays guitar. Gordi observes she can't really say she "looks up to The Tallest Man On Earth" because it'll sound like she's making a terrible joke. She then tells us that when she was trying to play The Gardener, a song by tonight's headliner, a while back, she changed the tuning on her guitar and subsequently wrote one of her own songs using this same tuning. Gordi premieres a new song, looping all of the parts live and performing this immersive offering solo. Her voice is pure and perfectly elevated when a trumpet player joins in. The keys player lifts dynamics when he drums along with the drummer during Gordi's closer and we look forward to catching this outfit live again soon.

Instrumental stations are set up in a half circle in front of four fabric strips that are interspersed evenly across the venue's back wall. A mic stand is set up front and centre. The Tallest Man On Earth (Kristian Matsson on his passport) flies from the wings out onto the stage, executing an impressive travelling, full-rotation jump. He typically has an earnest, if a tad bewildered, look on his face, which becomes very animated when he's singing. There's a unique physicality to his performance; he stalks around the stage as if sneaking up on his prey. Matsson's backing band - who unassumingly enter and exit the stage, as required, throughout the set - are exceptional; guitars often sound like woodwind instruments and the stiff-backed drummer effortlessly intersperses rim clicks with cymbal crashes via everything in between. Matsson tells us they're onto the "158th show or something" on this tour. We're treated to some glorious violin throughout The Wild Hunt. Matsson shares details of a dream he had last night, which featured his ex but mainly focused on his need to look after their Cocker Spaniel. Before The Gardener, Matsson thanks Gordi, clearly thrilled that he can be counted among her influences.

Rivers washes over us, transporting our thoughts up, up and away - each guitar pluck tugging at heartstrings and the chorus vocals finishing us off ("When the love is gone/But the need remains"). Matsson acknowledges he always sings about "divorces, break-ups and rivers", adding he intends to write songs about more varied subject matter down the track. We immerse ourselves in Criminals. A punter yells out something in Swedish and Matsson feels compelled to ask whether they have any snus (a smokeless tobacco product that's popular in Sweden). Because Mattson flew here via Singapore, he tells us he was unable to bring his own so is delighted when aforementioned Swedish punter informs him the Swedish church has it (in Swedish, but Matsson translates). He moves over to take his position on the piano stool for Little Nowhere Towns, with its irresistibly jaunty pace. Is there anything Matsson can't do? There's a reverent hush throughout the crowd as we don't wanna miss a single syllable of Where Do My Bluebirds Fly. Matsson shares his theory on how we can solve what ails the world at the moment (he singles out Trump). He says he doesn't believe fear is the cause, but rather selfishness and suggests love is the answer. Love Is All follows as the tonic.

The band leave the stage after a standing ovation. An encore is absolutely demanded. We score two more songs and this magical evening's entertainment concludes with The Sparrow And The Medicine, which earns another standing ovation.