Passenger confirms solo South African performances

Tickets have gone on sale for Passenger’s solo South African performance to be held on November 23 at the Ticketpro Dome.

A second show will be held in Cape Town on November 26.

There have always been two sides to Mike Rosenberg, aka Passenger: the epic, radio-friendly sound represented by his international number one single, Let Her Go, and his UK number one album, Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea (2016), and the more introverted, singer-songwriter side heard, for instance, on Whispers II (2015) and The Boy Who Cried Wolf (2017).

Runaway, the new album, finds Passenger embracing the epic once again.

The melodies have been described as unforgettable and the choruses, colossal.

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The album, Rosenberg’s 10th in 11 years, was recorded between the UK and Australia with his co-producer, Chris Vallejo, but its aesthetic is North American. Some of the lyrics refer to specific locations, such as Detroit or Yellowstone.

“My dad is American,” Rosenberg explains, “and we used to go over every other summer when we were kids.

“I always loved it.”

Rosenberg imagined these new songs as unfolding against a backdrop of American landscapes.

And so, rather than the usual video process, he and video director Jarrad Seng spent three weeks making videos on a road trip across the USA.

Passenger has come a long way since the release of his first album, Wicked Man’s Rest, back in 2007.

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The initial incarnation, in which Rosenberg was backed by a full band, was followed by his reinvention as a solo artist and a period of busking, largely in Australia and New Zealand. Then came a year touring the world in support of Ed Sheeran.

Rosenberg recently supported Sheeran on his South African tour.

He comments: “I had the most incredible time opening for Ed in South Africa.

“I couldn’t believe how lovely the crowd were and the response online has been completely insane.

“I really can’t wait to come back and play my own shows in November!”