The first dialogue to come forth from this incredible talent was an unexpected personal mocking of himself, as he made reference to the super-skinny trousers he was wearing on stage.
And so it was that Passenger fans got not only a captivating musical performance, but they were also simultaneously entertained throughout with a stand-up, ad-lib comedy show at the Palais Theatre on 17 January. This is not meant to be a dig at Passenger, aka Mike; it's an applause to his ability. His sense of humour and validation of his audience is so great, one cannot help but be swept up by his genuineness.
Click here for more photos from the show.
With his quality non-stop interaction, fans were treated to a first-hand appreciation of how innately witty, funny and entertaining he is, and it was this that gives one the overwhelming illusion that he is much, much larger than he would at first appear. With his slight and lithe body he exhibits enormous power, and his energy – when he belts into his riffs, in his trademark manner hunched-over his guitar, stomping his feet and head-banging to his perfect rhythm – gives the impression he is quite literally twice his physical size.
Not only did Passenger enrapture his audience visually and humorously, his rhetoric and poignant lyrics about the travails of life and living – such as the morose consequences of smoking, losing a family, paying child support, and living in squalid conditions – invoked us to consider issues that most would normally prefer to avoid.
Passenger - Image © Carl NeumannWhich led me to infer that – for one so young still – he has clearly lived a big and varied life. This I extracted from the fact he freely shared an abundance of anecdotes that really made me ponder some of the more simple and yet paradoxically huge things we as humans experience in our quest for the meaning of life. He made me think and he made me feel – these things I was not prepared for, and yet found myself willingly swept along.
And he has such a big, big voice, which can range from incredibly gentle, haunting and smokey one moment, to powerful and roaring the next. With all of these vast performance qualities, who needs a band when one man such as Passenger can satisfy an entire hall filled to capacity with his solo performance?!
Passenger - Image © Carl NuemannBefore his rendition of a crowd-pleasing melancholy track, he asked the audience to turn on their phone torches as a modern twist on the old days of lighting cigarette lighters. Naturally, a majority of the fans joined in and the effect in the great hall was mesmerising.
Passenger - Image © Carl NeumannPassenger came across as a genuinely nice, humble guy, and his audience clearly admire and love him – and of course they would... as he makes them FEEL GOOD.
