Music
Review: Stu Larsen, The Louisiana
Cramped in the hot and cosy room of The Louisiana, a crowd gathers to listen to Aussie musician Stu Larsen. It’s a sold-out show tonight for his solo appearance in Bristol. He has to make a rather unusual entrance, politely making his way through the crowd to reach the stage. As he gets to the final destination, he exclaims: “While I was walking through the crowd I heard someone say ‘I touched him!'”, the fan’s comment contrasts strangely with the nonchalant attitude of Larsen.
He’s already endearing on record and yet it is raised to another level live. Stripped from any musical accompaniment and production flourishes, it’s an intimate affair between him and the audience. As soon as he starts playing, the room goes dead quiet. With his long messy hair, bushy beard and laid-back look, no one would guess that the man was a banker 10 years ago. Since then, he has quit his job, been travelling and hasn’t stopped. His music keeps him on the road and his travels feed his heart. All is then poured into words for new material.
The set starts gently with Seaforth Mackenzie, a soft ballad about a man who trades the comfort of the day-to-day life in search for something bigger and beyond, a common theme in Larsen’s writing. The nostalgic effect does not always linger as some of his songs are cheerful rousing folk numbers. One of them is Chicago Song, which seems to be dedicated to a girl but is actually about one of his guitars that he bought in Chicago, being struck by love at first sight.
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In between songs he cracks jokes about his hair getting caught in his harmonica holder and the residue of beard hairs left in his instrument from the previous show. The set is a great balance of frivolity and depth, swinging our emotions from one way and the other. Aeroplanes, the opening song of his newest album Resolute, is particularly touching but King Street raises the bar. The subject matter of loneliness as the most dangerous killer is enhanced by powerful words and strong phrasing. Nostalgia is the centre of attention again on Going back to Bowenville, a mellow ballad about returning to his hometown, where nothing has changed since his departure.
Stu Larsen calls his music ‘simple’ and it is probably because it’s so reachable and relatable. Between laughter and tears, the set is a rollercoaster of emotions and the audience leaves the room lifted in some way. He performs a crafty show tonight and his promise of coming back next year is something to look forward to.
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