Matt Hansen | Stephen Dawes
EartH, Hackney
28th February 2025
Photography by Zosia Kibalo
Zosia Kibalo
Photographer trying to capture all the colours of the world one gig at a time. I love experimenting with my photos, both digitally and old school arts and crafts style. I also find my voice through writing about art in any shape or form. Catch me hopping around grassroots venues bopping my head and camera to some good tunes!
With support from Stephen Dawes, Matt Hansen takes to EartH, Hackney for the biggest headline show of his career
In a world of numbers where the counts of followers, views and streams validate artists, I find myself quite apprehensive towards music that is promoted as “viral”. That word does not earn my trust nor my respect as I often fail to see any overarching artistic vision attached to projects described this way.
As such, I was intrigued by an opportunity to see a live show from an artist who did get into the big game via a viral moment. That artist was Matt Hansen and, after experiencing first hand what he has to offer, I must admit that this time, the social media gods got it right.
Hopping off a bus in Dalston I was faced with a real life manifesto of his influence – rounding a corner of Kingsland Road was a long and winding queue of fans, eager to fill the hall of EartH Hackney and celebrate his biggest headline show to date.
The night kicked off with Stephen Dawes taking the stage. His ‘Teenage Dream‘ (cover of which catapulted him into the public eye) type of demeanour and honest storytelling in his originals provided a great introduction to the night. I must applaud whoever curated this pairing as the two artists compliment each other perfectly.
In between the two acts EartH was buzzing with energy, with people in the crowd already singing along to well known hits played from the speakers. However, nothing could prepare me for how loud they were about to be when Matt took the stage.
For the entire evening, the audience was Hansen’s personal choir, with fans singing every single song at the top of their lungs. With his rich vocals and constant pacing from one corner of the stage to another he asserted a strong stage presence that had one pumped with energy from beginning to end.
A moment that encapsulated the evening happened when Matt stepped into the audience and let his performance merge with those who are such an important part of his journey. His voice blended in with the crowd’s, creating a beautiful scene of familiarity between him and his fans. It was those couple of minutes that made me realise I was a part of a truly special night for everyone involved.
With this performance Hansen proved that he is in the right place at the right time and can absolutely stand his ground performing at bigger venues. His carefully constructed collection of hits carry a strong message of emotional healing which clearly resonate with the contemporary public.
That is best seen by the touching connection with his audience, something that cannot be forced, no matter how many views you have. I am certain that Matt Hansen’s journey is not a case of a one-hit-wonder viral moment, but the beginning of an outstanding career which I am excited to see flourish.
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