Matt Cardle

Claire White

Matt is currently performing across the UK on a 23-date tour with many dates sold out and extra tickets released due to high demand. The singer has come a long way since winning the X Factor in 2010 and with his Glasgow performance, it seems this year’s tour is just the beginning.

Support came from singer Roxanne Emery, providing a very easy-listening set with her Ellie Goulding-esque style.

The excitable crowd screamed before Matt appeared on stage and a sea of cameras filled the audience pointing towards his empty microphone stand. As he walked on to the stage, the excitement built up even more with cameras flashing, people screaming and everyone applauding before a single word was spoken.

Launching into his first song ‘Stars and Lovers’ taken from his debut album release “Letters”, the crowd joined in with no encouragement needed. The band were immediately all in sync engaging with each other looking relaxed on stage. It was like the audience were seeing a new side to Matt from his x factor days, and if you weren’t aware of his launch in the competition, you would never know that was the way his career started off. His new style is much edgier than before, returning to his pre-X Factor band style, looking completely at home behind a guitar and providing a refreshing side to the singer.

The stage set up was very simple, yet worked effectively with his music style. With small lamps scattered across the stage giving a more personal feel to the set, this projected a relaxed atmosphere even more.

Third track “Letters” was one of the slower songs in the set, giving Matt the chance to showcase his vocal talent with ease. The song also allowed some crowd interaction and Matt looked like he was having just as much fun as the audience.

Throughout the set Matt switched from electric to acoustic guitar showcasing his instrumental talent which was hidden away during X Factor, proving that he has many talents which the show did not allow the time to shine.

It was during cover song ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ that the audience could really appreciate Matt’s outstanding vocal performance singing only with a piano in the background. As the venue dropped to complete silence, the atmosphere changed completely and the emotional cover was received outstandingly well. The emotion projected in Matt’s voice was easily noticeable, explaining the song meant a lot to his family.

With instrumental sections throughout the set, this allowed Matt’s band to showcase their own talents. The rockier edge suited the band well and their interaction was strong throughout.

‘Beat Of A Breaking Heart’ worked effectively live with the drums making reference to a heartbeat alongside Matt’s strong vocals. This was a clever move which was easy to relate to and worked well for the audience tapping their feet.

As Matt sang his Christmas number one single, a cover of Biffy Clyro’s ‘Many Of Horror’, the Glasgow crowd were singing along unaided. Phone lights appeared as the crowd engaged with the singer, shouting the lyrics back to Matt. This also allowed those who had yet to discover Matt’s album to feel involved, particularly with Biffy’s Scottish roots, the Glasgow crowd were singing word-for-word.

Ending the set on ‘Run For Your Life’ was a fantastic choice for the singer. The crowd all swaying and singing along and with the appreciation shown from Matt throughout the set, the happy feeling was clearly mutual.

His vocals were consistent throughout the whole set and he proved with absolute ease why he won the competition. Looking like he had been touring for years, Matt’s infectious cheery attitude won over the Glasgow crowd as he exited the stage to a rapturous applause.

2 responses to “Matt Cardle”

  1. […] read the full live review, click here now. Share this:TwitterLike this:LikeBe the first to like this […]

  2. david shaw avatar
    david shaw

    One of the best nights of my life so far and will never forget the atmosphere in Glasgow that night, I can still hear the fans singing and feel the floor bouncing. AWESOME.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: