Swedish singer/guitarist Kristian Mattsson, better known as The Tallest Man on Earth, has made a name for himself worldwide with his unique brand of jagged-edged acoustic folk. After leaving his Swedish rock band to be a folksinger, Mattsson gained a following with his powerful hoarse voice and intricate acoustic guitar work, before mostly switching to hollow-body electric guitars on his last few tours. This shift away from an acoustic sounds seems to be developing even more now, as earlier this week he appeared on Swedish game show På Spåret with a full band to cover the classic rock hit “Dancing In The Moonlight” by Irish rockers Thin Lizzy.
Mattsson sings empty-handed on the cover, as his own fingerpick-y guitar style doesn’t quite fit the genre, and he definitely makes Phil Lynott’s vocal line his own. His stage presence shows flashes of his beginnings as the singer for indie rock outfit Montezumas (who all Tallest Man fans ought to check out), shedding his introspective folkie character and really getting into the song. He’s backed by some excellent musicians on the cover as well, including a saxophone player and guitarist who both bust out pretty impressive solos. There could be some very interesting versions of his old songs to come if Mattsson continues in this full-band direction with his Tallest Man project, stay tuned. Watch the performance below.
Check out more from The Tallest Man On Earth on his Myspace.
I’m surprised you don’t mention that they begin the song with the intro the The Boomtown Rats’ I Don’t Like Mondays. I thought you may have had the wrong video linked at first.