Scott Matthew - Personal Hitparade - Tour 2012

If Winter seems too bleak already, fret not, New York based singer song writer is currently on tour in Europe with a cache of personal fave songs to woo you through those chilly dark nights of the soul. 

Violent Storms, natural disasters, acts of god, so many words for tempests, you have witnessed this recently on a grand scale in your hometown Scott, we can’t prevent them and it seems that we do our best to avoid, fight and resist them and judge them as evil but what do you feel we can understand better by observing their natural force ?

Too true nature will always win. It was a blatant reminder recently.

I hate to be a pessimist but I am convinced there will be more catastrophe in the future. Though it was a beautiful thing how compassion and grass roots action came into play to help in the recovery. I had never been in any "natural disasters" until living in NYC. I have survived blizzards and hurricanes now.

Tell me a little something about the motivations behind your Personal Hitparade Tour?

It's a collection of songs that have touched me deeply somehow.
Be it a memory with a lover or a childhood memory about my father and his music. They’re songs that I have taken and stripped down and sometimes altered to a bare essence.

Revealing what I consider the truth of the song. It conveys my inner truth and my undying love of expressing the bitter/sweet sentiment. The songs vary from The Sex Pistols to John Denver, all filtered through my somewhat simple and romantic lens.

...a snapshot of each of the musicians on tour?

This tour I am only taking my friend and guitarist Juergen Stark from Berlin. I always work with friends. It’s a rule of mine.

We have been mates for years and he has such a natural sensibility for what I do, the songs need to be intimate so a lot of arrangement is unnecessary.

..and your special guest Rodrigo Leao, a snapshot?

The snap shot would be me Smiling a huge smile. What a joy to collaborate with him and an even bigger joy to be performing these shows with him and his band.

We have written two songs together so far both released under his name. Not to mention I get to share the stage with Beth Gibbons, who in my mind is beyond amazing. I also will be singing with Neil Hannon from Divine Comedy

Will the songs from this tour be recorded?

Yes, they will and more songs not included on the tour will be on my covers album. We are using this tour as pre-promotion for the record.

And the one or two favourite songs you needed to leave aside for this tour?

There were a few songs that didn't work without a full band.
The main one was Jesus and Mary Chain's Darklands. It really needs a fuller sound and I always here that song with multiple vocals and it's just little old me singing this tour.

Tell me in some detail about your strangest experience on tour so far?

By far the most surreal experience on tour so far is of having both gibbons on my arm as we went onto the stage for curtain call. I was absolutely out of my body.

Your saddest memory on tour?

There hasn’t been one. I rarely get sad on tour these days. I am overjoyed. I used to feel very, very lonely and this combined with a feeling of disappointment that goes with these songs of love and loss were the way I made my living.

It seemed at a time that I was just perpetuating loss and isolation but I worked through those emotions to find a place of acceptance and even pride for what I do and have been through.

Tell me about your funniest experience on tour so far?

Rehearsing spontaneously in a bar with Neill Hannon was hilarious. We were both very drunk and singing "smile" over and over for everyone there.

What are you most grateful for now at the cusp of your European set of gigs?
 

Simply that the universe allows me to keep going, doing what I love.It's not easy maintain sanity and motivation but I keep being offered reward and opportunity to really enjoy this strange life of making music. The highs are so wonderful that the lows are so distant when they come and make it all worthwhile.

www.scottmatthewmusic.com

26 Nov 2012 - POR - PORTO (special guest by Rodrigo Leao)
COLISEU - Buy Tickets

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27 Nov 2012 - POR - LISBON (special guest by Rodrigo Leao)
COLISEU - Buy Tickets

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30 Nov 2012 - GER - DORTMUND (SOLD OUT!)
Small Beast@Theater Dortmund - Buy Tickets

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01 Dec 2012 - GER - HAMBURG
Small Beast@Kampnagel - Buy Tickets

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02 Dec 2012 - GER - GOETTINGEN
Noergelbuff - Buy Tickets

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03 Dec 2012 - GER - DRESDEN
Societaetstheater - Buy Tickets

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04 Dec 2012 - GER - FUERTH
Babylon Kino - Buy Tickets

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05 Dec 2012 - AUT - VIENNA (SOLD OUT !)
Phil - Buy Tickets

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06 Dec 2012 - AUT - VIENNA (2nd Show!)
Phil - Buy Tickets

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07 Dec 2012 - GER - AUGSBURG
Golden Glimmer Bar - Buy Tickets

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08 Dec 2012 - GER - COLOGNE
Zimmermann`s - Buy Tickets

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09 Dec 2012 - GER - DARMSTADT
Oetinger Villa (Kaminzimmer) - Buy Tickets

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14 Dec 2012 - GER - POTSDAM
Waschhaus (Dachgeschoss) - Buy Tickets

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15 Dec 2012 - GER - LEIPZIG (SOLD OUT !)
Kafic - Buy Tickets

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16 Dec 2012 - GER - REGENSBURG
Alte Maelzerei - Buy Tickets

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17 Dec 2012 - GER - FRANKFURT
Mousonturm - Buy Tickets

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