“A Merry, Matt Goss Christmas, at The Mirage!!”

by A_F_R_O_W

New York was so good, they named it twice…

Well, friends, Vegas was so GRRRREAT, I had to visit twice!

…That, and the very, self-evident fact, that my body-clock had never reset to U.K.-time, after my first trek… So, why waste good jet-lag, and why not go back…but, this time, to see what Matt Goss Christmas shows would be like?!

Yet, something about returning was, markedly, different.

From the approach into Nevada, to the neverending, tensile outlines, as far as the eye could see, through the plane’s porthole windows, the vista of stardust streets had become a city-wide Christmas tree, immersed in such dazzling luminescence, as if the nightsky, itself, had briefly fallen into the hands of a world, awaiting an, even more, imperceptible illumination.

Touchdown, was as whisper-soft, as a prima ballerina landing a graceful, grand jeté, then gliding through to arabèsque and attitude, as if in one, poised, puff-of-an orchestral phrase… Even the, usually crowded, customs hall held a beguiling hush, with lanes, akin to an emptier Strip, which would meet-and-greet visitors, en route to our respective holiday homes…

Yes, different…

Las Vegas looked and felt different… Offering all of the multi-coloured, candy-covered distractions… yet, sweetened, with an undercurrent of a mystical mood that, seemingly, pledged to effectuate an excursion of greater artistic excellence, than first encountered…

…Intrigued and ready, was I…

…for I’d heard tell of the “Matt Goss Christmas”, as being one to showcase his undeniably impressive and expressive musical and emotional aesthetics, in tune with his penchant for debonair visual styling… say, “midnight-hued, velvet, Tom Ford suiting”… and one need say no more!

Sure enough, it was a supremely-spirited, artist, scorching the stage with refreshed and renewed ferocity, mirrored by a vibrant, razor-sharp, cherry-red, suit, who sent the 1-OAK audience into stratospheric heights, garnering rapturous and, often raucous, applause… For, having been on a deserved break, they had sorely missed he who, night, upon night, upon night, inserted the “Yeah, man”, into each and every show!

Based around the slick and stylish format which I had experienced in November, these three final nights of his highly-favoured residency, further demonstrated exactly why “Matt Goss at The Mirage” could never be considered mere “perfomance and patter”. The regulars attend to joust with his jocularity, seek out the sabre-sharp sarcasm, almost expecting him to splice the air-borne atoms with his own, “M.G.” insignia… yet, all who make their evening his, are, simultaneously, stunned by his spiritual sagacity.

When such moments occur from the vertigo and sweat-inducing heights of a salsa-infused “Sway”, this ultimate frontman stills the room with consummate ease… starting from the most precious pin-drop silence, to reveal the map of his Soul, in stirring melodic stanzas, such as “In The Wee Small Hours”, which, leaves him, breathless, resultant of the passion poured into each note, the reverence for every pause… and clearly, emotional, owing to the dedication to his deeply loved and respected, late Grandfather, Harry.

… It would have many of us weeping, in empathy and recognition of such enduring influences in our own lives…

Yes, this was noticeably distinct…

The closer to Christmas, the more standards… except, to classify them as such, would be to bear injustice to the uncanny ability of Matt Goss and his unique band, to regenerate a childlike wonder into those songs to which we hold so dearly… “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells” transformed the celebratory warmth into intimate memories, sung in unison, with the wishes seeming to fly upon wings of their own, to the hearts and minds of those, light years away from the venue. His version of “The Christmas Song” was, to me, a new soul classic… in absolute keeping with the proficiency which the new “King of Vegas” holds, for singing beyond musical lines and reinventing the wheels of well-established hits, with sweet, soulsonic, virtuosity…

… and it was this which put a finer tune upon the marked distinction…

Matt Goss is a contemporary Renaissance Man…

… a poised reflection of gentlemanly, sartorial grace, with a South-East London strut!

His story-telling is swathed in meandering, heartfelt revelation, cut through with the tangy brilliance of bold banter, awash with extraordinarily shrewd asides, to make you hold your sides, yet, in a heartbeart, his wit is balanced with a profoundly perceptive wealth of wisdom.. He has the propensity to transform, not only the dynamic of a room, but the entire atmosphere, into that of the metaphysical.

For this is his Matt Goss Music Ministry, which welcomes all-comers to seek and find new ways to engage with creativity, as only he and his impeccably-talented band, can deliver…

…and I truly believe that, should you attend (and I highly recomend that you do!), in one night, you will leave more elevated, empowered, inspired and blessed, for having immersed and lost yourself, in the, entirely beautiful, moment.

Click-through to:-

See Matt Goss at The Mirage in 2019

Hear Matt Goss on BBC i-Player (“Matt Goss At Midnight”)

Interact with Matt Goss on:-

Twitter: @mattgoss ~ Instagram: @mattgoss ~ Facebook: @iammattgoss

Support, both, Matt and Luke Goss on their amazing Bros Tour, in 2019!

Twitter: @TeamMattGoss ~ @LukeGoss ~ @Brosreunion

Most importantly, enjoy being part of the awesome experience!

afrow