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Matt Goss – Cafe de Paris live review

We attended Matt Goss’ showcase at the glitzy, glamorous and opulent Cafe de Paris last night. The pre-show’s ambience was romantic, jazz-infused and it reminded us of being in a by-gone era. Those who were invited to the show were treated to an absolutely delicious selection of canapés and champagne, which took place for an hour – before Matt was welcomed on to the stage. The pre-show build up really added to the occasion and we almost felt like we were at a glamorous ball. Everybody had made an effort to dress well, women mostly in cocktail dresses and the men wore suits and smart attire. The black napkins were embossed with the initials ‘MG’ in gold across the napkin, the glass of the tables surrounding our chairs were engraved with ‘MG’ and there was a huge ‘MG’ gold sign hovering above the stage, awaiting Matt’s arrival, these were all super glamorous touches which added further atmosphere to the occasion!

Underneath the enormous chandelier that dominated the main room, were Matt’s adoring fans, who could not wait for him to take to the stage. It really was wonderful how they captured the feel of this show, which is after all taken from his residency show at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, the bigger and bolder – the better, in glitzy Las Vegas and this definitely came to London last night! There was lots of dramatic music being played from the big full band that were on stage, which built up enormous anticipation. Matt glided down the stairs and on to the stage, looking every inch the Vegas showman in his bespoke suit and perfect matching hat and had a look of on-stage ease, happiness and confidence.

The first song was Lovely Las Vegas, a song that paid tribute to the neon-signed, casino loving mecca that is sin city, it was a slick opening and Matt looked utterly relaxed on stage and looked like he was enjoying every second of it. Before launching into the second song of the evening in ‘Mustang’, Matt announced “have you ever seen a Mustang in a fence? Meaning, that if you really love something or someone, you’ve got to be prepared to let that person go, then you know it’s true love”. The song was very romantic and featured some wonderful jazz-tinged moments. Matt sung this song with sincerity. The crowd interaction between songs was perfect and humorous! Up next was Evil – the ultimate break-up song and one of our favourites of the set, full of energy and with the perfect amount of slick attitude and composure, the fans also loved this song and they were singing along to every word. The romantic feeling continued when Matt launching into the lovely ‘I Do’, which he said was written especially for people to propose to – which he told the crowd to enjoy and to lose themselves in the moment. There were plenty of ladies in the audience who would said ‘I will’ to Matt’s ‘will you marry me’ line in the song!

What struck us the most about Matt Goss, is how he is very much every inch the showman, the perfect gent and a genuinely talented vocalist, with incredible vocal power. We came to the show after hearing great reviews from people all over the world who had seen the show in Vegas and every inch of praise that has been heaped onto the show is deserved. Strong was the fifth song of the night, which Matt explained was not about being strong as such, but more about learning from your failings and your weaknesses, which is where you learn the most and gain strength from. We were treated to a fantastic gospel choir who joined him in singing the song, which added so much energy, positivity and gave an even more uplifting vibe to the night, it was joyous, especially in such an intimate setting. Something that we did not expect to hear was a rat-pack inspired version of ‘When Will I Be Famous’! This was fantastic and somehow it totally worked! The crowds were in their absolute element and Matt had them eating out of the palm of his hands! A lot of the crowd had grown up with Bros and for them, this truly was the icing on the cake – of a fantastic set.

Matt stated “why not finish with an obscure song? If there’s one person in this room that knows this song, feel free to take a piece of clothing off”, to much laughter from the crowd. Hotel California was the chosen showcase closer, which was not so obscure, so that statement was very much said tongue in cheek! We didn’t witness any underwear being thrown on-stage to Matt, but the ladies in the audience were certainly feeling the heat and Matt has certainly charmed his way into their hearts, even more so that before they had seen him perform. Matt left the stage to the band playing out an instrumental version of “When Will I Be Famous”. There was no encore, but just looking around the sparkling Cafe de Paris and the intimate setting that is provided, it was clear to see that Matt’s presence last night was a night that they were not going to forget in a hurry. We have not seen hysteria quite like it for quite some time, either!

Sure, we have recently seen crowds going wild for the likes of the ultimate boyband of the moment – One Direction, but we have not seen such loyalty from pop fans in a long time, until last night. At one point, we witnessed a few ladies hyperventilating and needing to be calmed down, these were not teenage girls, but ladies that had grown up with Bros and for them – Matt Goss is their god and the reaction blew us away in terms of fan adulation and their love for him. The camera’s didn’t stop snapping, the smiles never dropped and the “I love you Matt” screams could be heard throughout the set.

This was a wonderful evening, by a wonderful man and it is a wonderful show. The band were incredible, the gospel choir were full of passion with huge and amazing voices and Matt Goss commanded the stage and took total control of every song like the ultimate professional. It really is no wonder that Matt has just been offered an extension to his residency at Caesar’s Palace, where he has been for the last five years, which is an incredible achievement in itself. There are thousands of people in the UK who are dying to see the whole show, but visiting Las Vegas may not in the budget of every person! Perhaps Matt might consider bringing the whole show over to play some UK dates? Especially seeing as Matt mentioned that he misses the UK and was very glad to be back in his home country? Let’s watch this space!

 

Carys Jones
Carys Jones
I am passionate about everything any anything that involves music, theatre and the arts! I love interviewing artists and getting to learn more about them. When I’m not doing artsy things, you may find me watching rugby, singing with my choir and travelling to a new part of the world. Carpe diem.

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