I have heard of the Electric Ballroom, read on the website that it is “iconic” but never been there.
Review and Photos by Stuart Duthie
But, then again, I have never listened to The National (Matt Berninger)’s solo music, not at least until a friend suggested we go. I did a little bit of aural revision before we came but still wasn’t totally sure what to expect. Unlike many in the audience, as I would find out later.
First up is Julia Laws, stage name Ronboy, who also appears on a number of Matt Berninger’s songs. Continuing the trend of new experiences, I looked her up before the gig, but there is very little information – no Wikipedia. This is homemade music, not corporate; organic. No artificial sweeteners or pesticides. A belief in themselves and what they want to say.
After the first three songs, the tempo dropped with Retriever: just her, a bass guitar and some reverb. Your Way followed – a fragile song played at the piano. As the set progressed, Matt Berninger took to the stage for the duet Disaster, which was a surprise rather than a disaster. It was only a couple of weeks back where I thought it would have been nice to see Self Esteem join Moonchild Sanelly on stage for Big Man prior to her own show, so an early cameo from Matt was rather good.
What I went on to discover is just how close the artists are having recorded together on the Get Sunk sessions (this is the Get Sunk tour) and sharing the same band musicians on the stage. Chatting to the audience in the front row, I found out just how close to people’s hearts Matt is. I have seen Matt 11 times, and The National… I have seen them 25 times. “I have seen them 53 times” someone called out to me. 53 times. That’s about once every 6 months on average!
One guy was there in the crowd on his own, but forming friendships for the evening with those around him. He told me about having lost his wife recently. He had travelled from Wales for this gig, originally planned to be with his daughter but she had an in-law family emergency. He talked to me about the solace and the support that the music had given him through some of his darkest days. Clearly Matt touches people’s hearts. This was emotional, not a night for tears but one of understanding and joy.
As the band come on, Ronboy takes keyboards and backing vocals. This was really nice, a familial unit which just adds to the emotional pull of the evening.
You can imagine Matt slipping into crooner territory in the same way as, possibly, the Arctic Monkeys have. Perhaps it’s the half-singing, half-talking; the baritone conversational element to the lyrics. But this feels more than that. Perhaps more real. Sometimes livelier than that. Some lovely male/female dueting (a real weakness of mine) with Matt and Ronboy – I love it.
Though, for me, the highlight was Nowhere Special, which was the last track to be finished for the Get Sunk album. The mesmerising, swirling music, the choral chanting from Ronboy, the gradual – but ever-rising – intensity. This would be a fitting finale to the show but we have more to come.
Matt is a man who likes to get up-close and personal with his audience. Not content with leaning over the front rail, he was off into the crowd. Right into the crowd. Right up to the back of the venue, across into the bar area, on the bar itself, before fighting his way back on to the stage – it was a packed venue after all. This touched many people in the venue; you could see it, you could feel it. This is what they came for.
Matt Berninger and Ronboy performed at the Electric Ballroom, Camden on Monday 20 July, 2026.