Dammit all, I don't care who he's with - you bloody well put him on the line!

A large (to say the least) phone bill and a broken desk chair results in a very broken keyboard (and a sore hand).

The Tallest Man on Earth - a live review

The Electric Ballroom, Camden Town - 24th November 2010.

Comparisons to Bob Dylan always grate on Swedish folk musician Kristian Matsson, who plays under the moniker The Tallest Man on Earth. It is easy to see why he is constantly compared to the legendary folkster though, for tonight at the Electric Ballroom his vocal delivery is spookily reminiscent of Dylan in his prime.

Yet, it should not be so that TTMOE is compared to one single artist with such regularity, for his intricate clawhammer fingerstyle is in the league of guitar gods Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, and the structure and delivery of his songs is borne from the folk glory years of when such names were at their peak.

The Electric Ballroom in Camden Town is full to the brim tonight, much to my dismay. Alas, I cannot get anywhere near close enough to the man I’ve been following and emulating in my own songwriting for so long. I think myself lucky that I’ve brought a competent photographer along who has the chance to take close-up snaps of Matsson from the pit, which sits merely feet away from his feet.

However, I’m delighted with Matsson’s performance from the start. It’s hard to imagine a ‘greatest hits’ set from a relatively unknown Swedish artist who has only two albums to his name, but this man is pulling it off nicely. In a room no bigger than your average nightclub, TTMOE’s poignant vocals are filling the air with eerie authority and precision. Precision is something that is crucial to this man’s live show; he is merely one man and a guitar which means he has a lot of room to fill. I needn’t worry however, as his obvious Americana-folk-influenced guitarwork is as precise as it is spellbinding. It’s his trademark; he really is the Cristiano Ronaldo of the guitar world.

TTMOE hits me with instant classics ‘The Burden of Tomorrow’ and ‘The Gardener’. His style of songwriting shows a constant re-enchantment with sixties folk music and every unforgettable number is so completely and effortlessly hook-driven that it becomes familiar to you upon the very first listen. The crowd is going wild for this man, and rightly so.

Other standout tracks include the hair-raising ‘A Thousand Ways’ and the flag-waving ‘King of Spain’. This man is quickly becoming a phenomenon on the folk-circuit. Class always prevails, and with two albums already under his belt and another in the mixer, his ability alone stands tall and will gain him wider recognition in the future. No pun intended. Obvious comparisons aside, The Tallest Man on Earth certainly has his own signature, and excels in a genre where so many before him have failed. Not to be missed.

http://www.myspace.com/thetallestmanonearth

Photographs by the little round-headed chump that is Michael Rampton.

Today's activities:

1. Sent R a lovely email. (at 2am approx)
2. Got up groggy.
3. Went to uni for tutorial.
4. Needed to make changes - gutted.
5. Spent £15 on medicine for this darned bug.
6. Spent the rest of the day re-writing my entire essay as per point 4. Changed many points on the importance of New Age Travellers to the demise of the Free Festival scene in the 1980s.
7. Although, day was broken up by phonecalls to R which helped :)
8. Paul Ward then told me that my poo is like golden logs of mystery.
9. Then practiced HARD for headline show on monday @ The Lights:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100150970058899

What a lifestyle I lead, I bet all you cunts are jealous?

Also - news of Karl Pilkington being an agony aunt in the new podcast series is certainly great food for thought. What a round-headed moron.

Then took a look out the window and saw this:




Lovely.

Oh and being told by someone random that your album is the best album they've heard all year is a feeling that I'll never get used to - but amazing nonetheless.

The Widowmaker - new album song titles.

Right, this is an absolute exclusive. Here are the song titles for the new Widowmaker album, due for release in 2011.

These are NOT in the order they will appear on the album:

All This Time

The Number Seven

Things

Go Quietly

Brokenheartedness

Tell Me To Stay

I Better Put You Down

Two Pence Piece

Leave It Out

The Wolf

26 Palms

So there you have it :)

Landlords/Ladies.

Why do I pay £350 per month rent when I don't even get supplied central heating and when I have the audacity to ask my landlady about it, she replys 'you'll have to call the gas board'.

Errrrm:

Dear Wicked Witch of the West,

Despite your actions to try to get me to call, I feel it encumbered upon me to remind you of your duties, considering you receive well over £1200 per month in rent from this house. A 4 minute phone call to the gas board shouldn't be out of the question.

Failing that, it is also a 5 minute ride on your broom.

Regards
Your loving tenant.

Ian Easton

The Tallest Man on Earth

...was amazing by the way. A review and pics to follow, but here's a sneak preview.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs964.snc4/75761_466360844222_511699222_5363779_4843863_n.jpg

Gosh I'm so good to you people.

And...breathe.

In an effort to remain calm, I've been attempting breathing exercises throughout the day. However this genius plan was scuppered yesterday when I woke up with what can only be described as a 'stinking cold'. This subsequently moved to my chest and now I can barely breathe. My poor young (27 years old is still young for these little fellas) sinuses are packed with bug, and said bug is making my stress-relieving exercises redundant!!

Of course, I don't actually do breathing exercises, but if I did then i'd be screwed.

Things are rather hectic for me currently. I have what seems like an ever-growing and evolving amount of university work hanging over my head, ready to drop at any given second. With that, I am working at The Sound on mondays, and also writing songs with Dan for the new Widowmaker album (title yet to be decided).

Dan and I are also discussing ideas for new promo shots. I was thinking something along the lines of this:

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsYufNFQA3u7MY20Sf7DgUgWSCoDb4Me_LWIVJHY5v9hOEpEHS

Alas, I jest of course. I came up with the idea of something along the lines of this, to which Dan agreed:

http://www.fredrickboling.com/wildbnch.gif

Obviously with our instruments. But I love how the subjects in those pics always look shocked or scared and the glazed look their eyes have. So maybe something like that, with our instruments (banjo and boots included) surrounding us.

Who knows.

Also, did anyone hear about MC Hammer making a comeback? These new dinosaur comebacks are really getting out of hand:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1149.snc4/149161_10150320231125096_586505095_16333257_3876143_n.jpg

There is still hope for me yet.