If you’ve been to a Dork Live show before, you know that we’re fans of pure silly chaos: jammed-out nights in tiny venues that border on pandemonium. Tonight at St Matthias Church is a different kind of statement, but it may just be louder than anything we’ve seen before. The jaw-dropping backdrop of the stunning hall plays host to an artist who has tapped into every twist of emotion that comes from human connection, both beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure. Matilda Mann’s rise has seen her become not just a favourite artist to some, but a vital lifeline, and that emotion is stripped back and amplified for a night that every person seated in the pews and standing around the church will remember for a long, long time.
Charlie Noordewier has a voice that stops you in your tracks. The hushed silence that falls across St Matthias the moment he opens his mouth speaks volumes for an artist who bears his soul for all to see. Delicate acoustic singer-songwriting at its finest, the church setting adds a whole new level. ‘Call It Love’ is a hypnotic opener, with Charlie’s voice wrapping itself around an already jam-packed venue like a warm blanket. ‘Joy and Despair’ is a captivating plea of love and all its complexions, echoing classic modern songwriters like Paolo Nutini and Damian Rice, while closer ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ spins in psych-esque beauty. As the song concludes, Charlie steps away from the microphone and lets his voice project the final notes of his set. With that as an instrument, the world is going to fall in love with a troubadour of great potential.
“Welcome to my cult! I’m gonna make some spells tonight,” proclaims Matilda as she steps on stage to a stacked church crowd in front of her. Tonight marks a truly special moment that strips things back to the heart of what makes her so vital. While usually headlining venues like London’s KOKO that open up her heart with pop ambition, tonight sees Matilda pull things back further to gaze into her soul. The pin drop silence that’s only broken by rapturous applause after each track sends shivers down the spines of all gathered, for a set that spans across Matilda’s career.
Opening with ‘Paper Mache World’, what follows is a night of personal tales, blooming new renditions and a glimpse at the stories she’s about to reveal to the world next. ‘Just Because’, ‘Dazed and Confused’ and ‘Everything I’m Not’ are met with broad smiles and sing-alongs, while special airings fall to fan favourites such as ‘Margaux’ that serve as a testament to the body of work Matilda has built over the course of her career so far. St Matthias Church is gripped.
Within this setting, Matilda showcasing what comes next feels even more unique – glimpsing into the songs and tales that have come together during the ride and a fresh new ambition because of it. ‘Inventing’ is met with delight, ‘Japan’ is delicate and swooning, ‘Imagine That Now’ is a wide-eyed dose of optimism about the idea that the person you’re waiting to love is currently out there somewhere, and ‘Chain Reaction’, written just a week before around the corner from the church, whose first line “heaven is a concept” is something that has made Matilda laugh thinking about playing it tonight.
There’s even a moment to play ‘More Days Of Sun’, an unreleased track that Matilda “never plans on releasing”. It makes for a night that sends shivers up your spine and spotlights an artist who is cutting into something special. For all the volume, tonight is a loud statement that Matilda Mann is becoming the writer of a generation’s memories.
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