To watch Stu Larsen in concert is an eye-opening experience. With the room dim and the crowd quiet, this down-to-earth performer relaxes on a stool leaning over his prized Martin guitar, fingers strumming lightly. The instrument was partly paid for by his fans and is symbolic of his itinerant life as he relies on friends all over the place not just for this exceptional guitar, but for every necessity.

He looks up and gazes into an expectant crowd. The connection is almost tangible. Telling his own tales in both song and speech, he encourages people to acknowledge their own stories. His smooth tones mesmerise the throng with vocals which have been described as “painting the poetry of life’s experiences”. Click here to see a Stu Larsen YouTube moment.

Stu Larsen is one of those hidden gems who shine in dark places. Rather than being labelled as a Christian muso, he prefers instead to be called a muso, who happens to be a Christian. An independent artist, Stu was recently described as one of Australia’s best kept secrets by Erin Marsh of Sydney’s Hope103.2. For anyone else, being called ‘a secret’ could be disheartening. Not Stu – he is completely relaxed and happy about where he is right now. At ease about his undercover status his instant response to the comment was, “I feel real comfortable about what I do. I don’t mind it being a bit of a secret.”

Having left his job in January 2007, Stu is a self-described nomad. No regular roof over his head. No family around to keep him grounded. He is the guy from Dalby Queensland who simply travels from one gig to the next. He wrote in his blog recently:
                  it’s been an interesting year so far. living out of a suitcase.
                  some people don’t believe i have no home. not sure why.
                  is it so hard to believe that someone would live this way?
                  or is it too far removed from normality to be conceivable?
                  i hope it makes people think about their own life a little.


So what makes Stu Larsen tick? Who would be content with not having the usual comforts such as a good bed to come home to and daily connection with mates? Although he does identify with many people during his concerts, there are plenty who find this lifestyle difficult to comprehend.

Stu acknowledges this way of life is not ordinary – it was the consequence of no ordinary set of events. In a reactionary chapter of his life at age 23, Stu walked away from his happy but conservative Christian upbringing. He lived a lifestyle he now regrets for the following 18 months.

He is thankful his family stuck by him through it all, even though they disagreed with what he was doing. He remembers, “They said, ‘We love you, we are your parents . . . we’re here for you no matter what’.”

During this time Stu questioned everything he had grown up with. Reflecting on this now he says, “I wanted to make sure I believe the things I believe for the right reason.” However, in that short time he made some terrible decisions. In the natural ebb and flow of his life, this was a definite low point.

The tide turned when Stu retreated for a few days to contemplate his future. “I knew that what I was doing was not healthy and I was pushing people away from me. So I went away for a weekend on my own.” It turned out to be a life-changing few days, from which he has never looked back. He emerged a changed man, having confronted many of his demons and realised that God’s acceptance of him, even in his rebellion, demanded a response.

As a result of this experience Stu can now say wholeheartedly that people are important, more than that, their stories are important. Knowing that God loves him in spite of his failings has shaped his reaction to every person he meets. In spite of his regrets, that year and a half has moulded him to be the person he has become today. He reflects, “I can’t imagine what my life would be like if I didn’t go through that period.”

Perhaps this hard-won understanding of human nature explains why Stu Larsen in concert is, for some people, such an eye-opening encounter – he listens, he understands, he gets it.

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www.stularsen.com
Stu performing Paper Sails at Easterfest 2010