Live Review: Matt Maltese – 22nd February 2024 – Electric Brixton, London, UK
3 min read
This past Thursday night, Matt Maltese took to the stage at Electric Brixton for his sold out ‘Touring Just To Tour’ London show. Matt’s career has been on the up since the breakthrough of his 2017 song As The World Caves In that went viral on TikTok during the pandemic. The artist is much more than just another internet hit, however, and shows it best in his live performances.
Liana Flores opened with her satisfyingly bossa nova flair. She enchanted the crowd with her heavenly vocals, telling all that it was the biggest show she had ever played. Those enchanted feelings continued when Matt and his band begun. Starting with You Deserve An Oscar, the crowd sung along with glee. “I’ve never ever called my mum mother,” Matt said after playing Mother, after which he introduced the band. The stage was adored by three lamps and a park bench, the lights getting brighter and dimmer as the songs ebbed and flowed. It really added to the appeal of the music, leaning into the whimsical and wanderlust of his songwriting. His little piano noodling between songs also added a level of intimacy to the night, as though we were watching in on a rehearsal or private session.
Curl Up And Die hit appropriately, the audience swaying to the beat. He thanked all the fans who had queued up in the rain for doors to open, which in fairness to the eagerness of his fanbase was the majority of the standing crowd. “I wouldn’t do that for me, so thank you,” he said. Hello Black Dog brought a touch of theatrics, the lights glimmering as the band built up and exploded at the choruses. His band of three should be commended for their tight playing and excellent feel, especially at the points where the music slows down and speeds up as through breathing.
Moving over to the electric piano, Matt announce Mystery, which featured a bossa nova section teased in earlier performances. The group pulled out a medley of tunes, starting with Madhouse before transitioning surreally into Jupiter. He brought out Liana for a duet cover of My Heart’s Not In It that will appear on his upcoming covers album. A sweet solo piano piece followed, and then the title track of his latest album Driving Just To Drive. Another cover, Kiss Me, followed a story of Matt’s first ever gig in a nursing home. The man that jokingly or perhaps literally inspired his career was credited, wherever he may be now.
The main set ended with arguably his biggest hit, the aforementioned TikTok sensation As The World Caves In, leading wonderfully into Intolewd, but it wasn’t long before Matt and his band reappeared for two final songs, finishing the night on a high and leaving the audience longing for more whilst also completely satisfied.
Setlist:
You Deserve an Oscar
Mother
Irony Would Have It
Curl Up and Die
Hello Black Dog
Mystery
Madhouse
Jupiter
Krystal
My Heart’s Not in It (Darlene McCrea Cover with Liana Flores)
Krakow
Driving Just To Drive
The Earth Is a Very Small Dot
Kiss Me (Sixpence None the Richer Cover)
Nightclub Love
As The World Caves In / Intolewd
Encore:
When You Wash Your Hair
Everyone Adores You (At Least I Do)
Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
