Kid Harpoon
- Posted on April 13, 2007 11:32 AM
- 0 comments
Review by Katie Spain
There are everyday gigs and then there are the ones you feel honoured to attend. It's not because invites were handed out on gold-lined invitations or because they cost an arm and an eyeball to buy (have you tried to get a ticket to see Tina Turner's charity gig? I rest my case.). Luckily, I'm not in central London to see Tina... I'm here because fate has dealt me a private gig invite I was just lucky enough to 'stumble' into.
UK artist Kid Harpoon is no stranger to 'out of the ordinary' gigs... tonight he tells us about a musical rendezvous he had with a fish restaurant in Texas. Luckily, we’re spared the fins and batter tonight - we are however, treated to some of the most invigorating live music I've heard in a long time.
When an artist opens with a request to "Turn up the Glockenspiel mic" you know you're in for an eclectic treat. This man has the type of unique aura most of us dream of. It's not feigned, it seems natural - either that or we had a damn fine actor in our midst. He's also partial to the joys of irony... sure, he acknowledges he's playing to a mob of media savvy advertising bods "But this song is for my mate - you sell out bastard!"
In the flesh, Kid Harpoon doesn't have the towering stature his powerful voice hints at. This doesn't stop him wielding his acoustic guitar like a plaything, jerking it skywards as he simultaneously strums the living life out of it. Thank the musical Lord above that guitars don't get motion sickness.
To onlookers, his energy is infectious. The rest of his band stand relatively still amongst the music and there's no 'show pony' behaviour here folks... about time too. Elsewhere, throughout the city, hefty handful of music's big shots stumble about on stage drooling in a drug and ego soaked haze. Meanwhile, Kid looks and sounds fresh. It's not uncommon for him to perform solo but the band has obviously hit their comfort zone as a unit - new additions included.
Their music dusts off the cobwebs from an office-bound day and makes us want to bounce. I hate making comparisons... to be honest, in this case I can't. Catchy melodies infused with flashes of rock wash remind me of days spent dancing atop tabletops in small German towns. Maybe Kid Harpoon was there too when folk bands and men in Lederhosen pumped out some of the most infectious music I've laid ears on. Perhaps it's just the influence of the Xylophone or Kid's firm grasp of where our musical roots lie. It could be his knack for great tunes; whatever it is, it works.
The set is short but solid and within an hour I'm taken through the streets of London, to the family farm in Australia... I blame Milkmaid for that one. It's not about me though.. each individual member of the throng beside me bops along to their own musical journey. As the free booze flows, the band ends with Riverside and we're reminded that some gigs just leave you feeling good. Simple as that.
Fish restaurants may be a thing of the past... but let's hope this is one harpoon that spears the music industry right where it needs it. Reel them in Kid - something tells me you're well on your way.
Keep your eye out for this one guys... you can catch Kid Harpoon tonight at Proud Gallery for NME Acoustic, or read on for his upcoming gigs. For all details, check out his official site or MySpace.
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