Jose Gonzalez @ The Liquid Room
A beautiful symbiosis between a man and his guitar.
Swedish songsmith Jose Gonzalez is facing a huge challenge. To survive as a commercial artist beyond the hype of his debut single, familiar to all as the soundtrack to a stunning Sony advert, he has to pull something special out of the bag. Fortunately, it really does seem that this could well be the case, if his performance at the Liquid Room this evening is anything to go by. Nervous first impressions aside, Gonzalez promptly transcended the tense, expectant atmosphere by creating a sublime symbiosis between himself and his guitar. His discomfort in the spotlight dissipated quickly as the audience fell in love with his delicate voice and smooth finger-work. Chat was sparse but genuine and very witty, hinting at true wisdom and staying-power beyond the current media buzz. Gonzalez shines on stage, with only a smattering of help from his bouncy balls. [Jess Chilton]