Matt Willis: King Of Rock

Matt Willis showcased his new songs to fans and soon-to-be-fans last night.

He played an exclusive gig at Londons La Scala club and won over a hard-to-impress music industry crowd.

Matt, fresh from his debut at MTVs Spanking New Music Week, bounded on stage and kicked off with his first single Up All Night. Any nerves he had were gone by the end of the first song, and he impressed everyone with his versatility and voice.

There was, as Busted would say, a present for everyone in the setlist. Hes been writing with Jason Perry, who used to be in sweat-rockers A, so there was a sprinkle of Green Day-esque action in there. But one of the best moments was when Matt veered towards Robbie territory on the anthem Dont Let It Go To Waste.

He finished up with second single Hey Kid, which is an amazing Def Leppard-style stomper. The crowd even gave a sad sigh to see him go, much to his surprise. "Go on, theres a free bar upstairs!" he said. "I thought the idea of a showcase was to go out in front of p****ed people..."

Even the most cynical hacks left impressed. Job done for Willis.

HV