I adore the Spiegeltent.

I spend my Brisbane Festivals ensconced in its welcoming bosom, lapping up all manner of cabaret, circus, song-and-dance and variety shows – big productions with big personalities, big acts and big bands.

This is the first time I’ve seen a stripped-back solo set within its wooden and stained-glass walls and what a revelation!

UK singer-songwriter Bruno Major sauntered casually to a small stage in the centre of the Spiegeltent, accompanied by nought but a couple of guitars, microphone, a piano and the voice of a goddamn angel.

He delivered a pitch-perfect, blissed-out 50-minute set of songs centred on love, life and loss – particularly loss.

His tales of heartbreak and love-gone-bad, perhaps surprisingly, never felt morose.

Major’s easy banter with the audience and jokes between songs ensured the mood never plummeted.

The Spiegeltent proved an ingenious venue for such an intimate show.

My only suggestion to organisers to improve the experience would be to have staff or security ‘shushing’ the obviously drunk and very screechy occupants of the booth behind me who were far more interested in gulping white wine and gossiping than listening to Major – or any of the audience who ask them to pipe down.

Either that or crank the sound louder to drown them out!

A very talented musician as well as vocalist, Bruno Major stood unaccompanied on the stage lit by a single spotlight, and surrounded by 5 guitars and a keyboard.

The lyrics across his body of work have a timeless sophistication, which is set beautifully against his indie/alternative music genre.

A match made in heaven.

‘Old-fashioned’, ‘Places We Won’t Walk’ and ‘Easily’, are tracks that I would highly recommend if you are wanting to hear what Bruno Major is all about.

This style of music is perfect for an intimate venue.

Bruno Major had an amazing stage presence and his set was filled with entertaining anecdotes about his life and relationships.

He is the whole package, so get tickets to see his show while you still can!

I knew very little about Bruno Major when we shuffled into the Spiegeltent.

It’s an intimate space and we crowded around a tiny stage set with guitars, a piano and some mics.

With no introduction and zero fuss, out walked this diminutive young guy, clean-cut but not overly polished wearing jeans, white t-shirt and a leather bomber.

So far, so underwhelming.

There was some polite cheering before he launched into a 50-minute set of the most divine, original rhythm and blues songs—just Bruno, no backup singers, dancers or band.

Most of his lyrics were based around love and loss, with particular emphasis on the loss.

Seeing this young man sing with such eloquence about heartache brought me to tears, but hearing all the other young men in the audience singing along with him, really brought me undone.

It’s like Bruno Major is giving a generation of guys permission to feel the ecstasy of love and the agony of what happens when things unravel.

And he’s saying when things do unravel, it’s bad but it’s all gonna be ok.

His voice is soft and has an almost whispery quality to it.

His guitar playing is superb, tackling tricky chord changes with ease.

Bruno reminded me of a young Jeff Buckley putting his life on show for all, rejoicing in the beauty and wallowing in the grief.

Despite the, at times, melancholy melodies, Bruno managed to keep the show light by cracking jokes and talking about what motivates his songwriting.

He quipped that when he broke up with his girlfriend he was absolutely heartbroken, but is ok now because he loves the song he wrote in reaction to the breakup, more than he ever loved the girl.

The savior of modern music lives and his name is Bruno.

When Bruno Major first appeared on stage to the gleeful squeals of a packed Spiegeltent, he was wearing an oversized denim jacket emblazoned with toy blocks on the back that spelt out ‘LET’S PLAY’.

My theory is that he found the jacket in his dad’s closet along with all the instruments he touched over the course of the night, because he really wasn’t a great fit for any of them.

Fortunately, my opinion won’t change the minds of the fans who were enraptured by every off note, and being honest, it’s probably going to be past most of their bedtimes by the time this is posted anyway.

I’ll scrape some of the salt off of this review and admit, I was probably just expecting more than what I saw as I waited in a line that snaked all the way down to the Brisbane River.

What I ended up seeing was not bad by any means – Bruno Major’s voice is good enough.

His banter with the crowd is charming enough.

His songs are catchy enough that his fans were singing along with every word, and releasing the kinds of studied screams that are usually reserved for a rollercoaster.

But, this wasn’t any rollercoaster ride.

Well, maybe one of those kiddie rollercoasters you take with your nan when you’re not grown enough for the real rides.

And that’s the real problem for this bitter bitch standing and watching a bunch of kids fawn over mundane songs that I can no longer remember – I’ve been to too many truly exciting shows for this one to move me anywhere other than the exit.

I will say though that most of Major’s audience seemed to have a great night out, so he certainly knows how to capture his particular, less demanding crowd.

Bruno Major is the reason why you would go out late on a weeknight.

Just for the pure unadulterated pleasure of seeing this legend sing.

Without all the bells and whistles of a well-established music studio, there aren’t many artists whose live performance measures up to the carefully orchestrated songs produced in a recording studio.

But once in a while, your lucky stars come into orbit, bringing someone like Bruno Major to illuminate your nights.

There are no accompanying musicians. No backup vocals. No extravagant pyrotechnic light show.

Neither will you find affectation or pretentiousness.

Just a man and his voice holding the crowd in absolute rapture.

In fact, if your eyes scan the crowd, you will find a chromatic spectrum of appreciative fans.

From elderly couples to teenagers, all of us tuning in attentively for the hour-long performance.

A clear testament to the wide appeal of his music.

For all our differences, we wear the same reverent expression when Bruno Major sings.

Right from the opening strains of melancholy that Bruno Major coaxes from his guitar strings to his encore finale with “Nothing”, each song draws you into his lyrical insights on love, loss and light.

He is the master of tone and depth.

He knows the strength of a slow deliberate note and how much more power lies in a perfectly timed soft note.

His music is like no other but is reminiscent of the jazz depths of Chet Baker and the soulfulness of Jeff Buckley, reincarnated.

It is no wonder he has been touring with Sam Smith. Most of all, his concert is where he will delight you with all the stories of the people, places and events that have shaped his music.

It is where you’ll discover the magic that is Bruno Major.