![F%^& Off - MATT COSTA [LIVE]](http://hangout.altsounds.com/images/icons/flipoff.gif "F%^& Off - MATT COSTA [LIVE]")
MATT COSTA [LIVE]
MONTO WATER RATS, LONDON – 13TH JULY 2008 July 5, 2008, 03:10 PM Views: 833
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 After watching his band set up on stage, the crowd burst into rapturous and enthusiastic applause as a dishevelled Matt Costa sloped, almost shyly, onto the stage and over to his mic with his guitar. He immediately breaks into “Josephine”, just Matt and his guitar, and it’s beautiful. He moves into “Sweet Thursday”, “Cold December” and “Vienna”, before breaking out the harmonica. When Matt starts “Behind the Moon”, one of my absolute favourites, both me and the crowd go wild, stamping our feet and singing along. The back room at the Monto Water Rats is dark and intimate, the stage lit with red spotlights, and you can’t help but feel like part of the best fan club ever. “Cigarette Eyes” came next, prompting the crowd to sway, stamp and clap as one, and, before Matt and the band begin one of the crowd pleasers, “Mr Pitiful”, he explains that British Airways unfortunately ‘dropped his piano in the sea’ on the way over from the States, so he happily re-creates it using his guitar. It’s a fantastic song, with it’s marching band guitar chords, and we’re all stamping our feet, hands raised above our heads clapping. When Matt and the band finish “Yellow Taxi”, he leans forward into the mic and thanks us all for being so nice to him. With his tall, slender body and beautific, almost angelic face, I think it would be hard not to be nice to him. Judging by some of the flirtatious heckling from the crowd, I think there were several young ladies who would happily have been VERY nice to him… The beautiful, melancholic melody of “Astair” is next, followed swiftly and brilliantly by the thumping bass drum sounds of “The Ballad of Miss Kate” which, for a moment, remind me of Stevie Wonder’s incredible song, Superstition. I think this particular song was a superb illustration of how much more emotional an artist’s music can be when it’s performed live, because the recorded version just doesn’t do it justice. There then came light banter from the crowd, suggestions that Matt play “Sunshine” (which incidentally were tactfully ‘ignored’ until Matt had finished a rendition of what I believe was new material – his beautiful ululating voice giving the song a country feel; emotional and heartfelt. Then he smiled (almost to himself) and gave the enraptured crowd what they wanted – “Sunshine”. Almost the entire audience joined him in performing the song, singing their hearts out, and with much giggling as various pitches of ‘oooooh’ were combined to end the song. “Sweet Rose” came before a short harmonica interlude (Matt is as accomplished at this as at singing, writing or performing), and then a beautiful a cappella rendition of “Miss Magnolia” which had the audience transfixed. As I looked around, I caught many people gazing at Matt, almost in awe, mouthing the words to every song. He has the wonderful talent of making you feel like he’s singing just for you, and having the time of his life doing so. “Never Looking Back” was followed a glug of Vodka and Ginger Beer (a drink that we should definitely all try, according to Matt), before the final performance of the set – “Will I Lie”, performed minus band or guitar, and absolutely and utterly captivating. I could barely move through the entire song. Matt and his band left the stage to ridiculously long, loud clapping, whistling, screaming and stamping, and really had no choice but to reappear, bashfully announcing “Well, I guess I got a few more songs for ya”. We were treated to “Acting Like a Fool”, the wonderful “Whisky and Wine” (another shouted request from the crowd” and finally, the album title track, “Unfamiliar Faces” rings in our eardrums, before the unfortunate happens…Matt waves his final goodbye, the encore is over, and he steps off stage, waving, smiling and thanking us as he leaves. No – Matt Costa and your wonderful band – thank YOU, for one of the best nights ever.
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| | | | Overall Rating | | 9 | | Vocals / Lyrics | n/a | | Musicianship | n/a | | Production | n/a | | Creativity | n/a | | Lastability | n/a | | Reviewers Tilt | n/a |
90% | |
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Matt Costa - Cats, bikes and album covers
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