Myles Smith wraps up his European tour at the Zénith in Paris, before heading into his U.K. tour.
Myles Smith walked onto an enormous stage that looked like a giant living room, with an intimate atmosphere and lamps placed all around. There are plenty of people up there: a bassist, a drummer, a keyboardist, two guitarists, and a violinist.
Myles Smith is quite the talker. He laid out two rules for the night: have as much fun as possible, and put on the best show possible for his musicians. And you can feel it from the very start!
Between songs, he spoke about how hard it is to make it in music. He opened up and told us that he went to university, had a few small jobs, and that he was very good at them. Myles says his mom is truly his best friend and closest confidante. He doesn’t hesitate to share the conversations they’ve had, including the one where she explained the difference between a passion and a job.
He took that advice to heart too, and decided to quit his job on the spot. He then called his guitarist, Joe, to ask if he wanted to come along and quit his job as well.
Myles also looked back on his album, which was a real journey, with its share of complications. Even though he’s very happy, he doesn’t shy away from the hard times he went through, a period of his life when he felt he wasn’t being 100% himself. With one question on his mind: what makes all the artists who inspire him so authentic? That’s why he fights every day to be as real as possible, staying honest and true to himself.
Myles Smith is very endearing. On top of his voice and his talent, you can feel how humble he is, and how attentive to both his audience and his team. The musicians have a real place in the show, and Myles puts the crowd front and center: someone in the audience points at a musician, and they introduce themselves through music, one after the other.
He presents his new album My Mess, My Heart, My Life, with tracks like “Grandma’s Place,” “Drive Safe,” and “Hold Me in the Dark,” but of course also the must-hears “Nice to Meet You” and “Stargazing,” which have traveled the world. There are also two covers: “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele and Bastille’s “Pompeii.” He even brings his opening act, Josie Abrams, up on stage.
You can feel how close he is to his audience. He invites two fans up on stage to watch the show from there, when they had been in the very back row of the venue. They end up sitting on a couch right next to Myles and the band. A unique moment.
A gentle, feel-good concert, the perfect parenthesis to escape for a little while from the times we’re living in.
Leave a Reply