Passenger

For Mike Rosenberg aka Passenger, success, however belatedly, is very well deserved. Not only is he a supreme songwriter and passionate singer and lyricist, he’s also a down-to-earth and self-deprecating fellow. He knows that his recent surge in profile is largely down to his touring with Ed Sheeran. And he’ll most likely always remember his struggles to get heard in dingy pubs and clubs, many of those in Brighton where he learnt his craft… But here, despite the most unlikely of audience scuffles halfway through, you can hear a pin drop, interspersed by the mass of young females at the front, shrieking in perfect unison. Must be weird for him… Still, he takes it all in his stride, mixing up his gritty, heartfelt songs, with ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ and ‘Sounds Of Silence’, amusing anecdotes, and an elevated confidence and warmth as a solo performer suddenly finding the limelight. A homecoming gig, and hopefully another dagger in the heart for X Factor…

Concorde2, 30 January 2013

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