Possibly one of the friendliest men in music at the moment, Passenger brought his heartfelt music to the o2 Academy in Bournemouth.

Canadian folk band The Once opened the show with their beautiful harmonies and true hipster looks. Playing a set spanning from a souring a capella number to a brilliant cover of Elvis’ ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’; the crowd lapped up singer Geraldine Hollett’s incredible vocal range and the band’s clear chemistry.

When Mike Rosenburg, Passenger, took to the stage, the atmosphere instantly changed and the room went silence in anticipation of the sheer talent of the man about to play.

Never before have I attended a gig where the crowd has such respect for the artist, all except one man whose heckles Passenger shrugged off with undoubted style.

Opening with ‘Rolling Stone’, as the lights dimmed, all eyes were on the man who was lost in the music. Passenger’s evident passion for the music he plays helped the crowd to believe his stories that he expressed through song.

Although, admittedly there were a lot of downbeat songs, I think this is where Passengers lyricism shows best and his wit and charm come through in how he brings a bit of humour to bad situations.

He played a vast selection of songs, from over his entire career, which were accompanied by gorgeous visuals projected on a screen behind him in the style of ‘Whispers’, his latest album.

Everyone in the crowd seemed to know every word to his biggest hits such as ‘Let it Go’ and ‘Holes’, and held a respectful silence as he eloquently told his funny and occasionally emotional anecdotes.

At one point, some of the audience were moved to tears by his heart wrenching story about the inspiration for ‘Riding to New York’, which tugged on heartstrings all around.

Overall, his sheer genius in lyrical craftsmanship and passion for his music make Passenger an absolutely wonderful performer to see live. I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the concert, as his songs were brilliantly clever and relatable and the respect that the audience had for him made the night one to remember.

Poppy Jeffery

November 13, 2021

Online editor. BA Multimedia Journalism 2nd year. I love writing, photography and music, throwing my enthusiasm into everything I do. In the words of Ron Burgundy: "You stay classy, Planet Earth"

Categorised under

Culture Music Bournemouth concert mike rosenburg O2 Academy passenger the once onlineeditor poppyjeffery

Tagged in

Bournemouth, concert, mike rosenburg, O2 Academy, passenger, the once,