Nathan Tasker - Like You Love Me
NATHAN TASKER - NEW WORD ALIVE 2010 (Hafan Y Mor Haven Show Bar, Pwllheli) 13/4/2010
“I’m a little disappointed I left my wobbleboard at home” laughed Nathan as UCCF’s Clive Parnell presented the after hours entertainment for the first night of New Word Alive 2010 as ‘the best thing out of Australia since Rolf Harris.’ It was a real treat to see Nathan Tasker again. I heard of him first at this years London Passion For Life event, ‘The God Confusion’ at ExCeL, as I sat at the back row of over a thousand people. This time I was right at the front with some other student friends from London, a notebook and camera-phone at the ready!
Nathan came onto the stage simply dressed in a green t-shirt, jeans and converse, hitting the audience straight away with a few funny jokes and a sense of welcome. Throughout the evening he would tell a number of quirky and true stories, making simple observances of UK, US and aussie life. As well as this, he would share stories of his friends and relating all things to his faith in Christ. This included some encouragements and reminders of the God that made us, loves us and saves us. He played a few of his own songs, and also covered a number of old and wonderful hymns in a more contemporary style. He started off with a cover of the hymn ‘Glory To His Name’, and also a reworking of the hymn ‘Nothing But The Blood’.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot
He was very funny but not at all self-seeking or performing, rather putting God first in all he said and played, and encouraging the audience to do the same. He’d encourage people to sing along to catchy chorus parts in songs that were easy to remember, and whistle along in a couple too! Musically, I haven’t seen acoustic guitar playing like this ever before; he was hitting those strings so hard I thought they were going to break! The playing was fast and very melodic, it was amazing to see him play like that at the same time as singing and in the middle of verses or phrases, to talk to the audience too!
“God has placed eternity on the hearts of everybody.”
The strumming was tight and precise, and it was if he was bringing the instrument alive. There was no faltering in his voice or playing, but confidence in his faith-laden lyrics and not a noticeable mistake in the music; a real pleasure to watch and listen. He tells the story of the late australian Arthur Stace who was a reformed alcoholic, who became a Christian and would write with chalk all over the city of Sydney. “Arthur used what he had to build the Kingdom of God. What’s your chalk, what have you been given that God can use?”
“So sing a song that will last forever”
The timeless rhythms and words were full of hope and promise, and even his own songs were an example of this, with choruses like you’ve never heard before. I particularly enjoyed his song ‘Lifted High’ about the resurrection, which had a slight delay effect on the words ‘Lift your eyes’ in the chorus which was quite clever. There was also a very funny love song called ‘This could be love or it could be the flu!’
“I thank God that we don’t have to reach some moral high to earn his love, but that he loves us just as we are, undeservingly. In fact, we were dead!”
Nathan juxtaposed and placed the songs skilfully, with both the slow and mellow and also the fast and louder. Definitely one of the best gigs i’ve ever been to, if you could call it that. It was more than just a performance, perhaps thats not the word for it…more of an outburst of love and thankfulness to God for the great things he has done, most of all in sending Jesus so that we could be back in relationship with him. 10/10 Nathan Tasker! I look forward to seeing him again. A wonderful and moving evening.
“Every day is a brand new miracle because you keep giving grace.”
