Calvin Harris comes in for a lot of stick from the music press who waste no time in sticking the knife into the Scot for his self-confessed limited vocal ability and style of music. Yet for all those criticisms, Harris put on some show at Glasgow’s O2 Academy on Wednesday night and the sell-out crowd - the people who buy the records, gig tickets and what not - lapped it up.
Forget that he’s one of ours - although his fans did respond in kind to his constant ‘Come on Glasgow’ shouts with unprintable return cries of appreciation for their fellow Scot - Harris is a man in demand and his live act is finally reaching a level that deserves similar praise to that received by his song making.
Accompanied by a six-piece band - including a female backing vocalist with the longest legs in town and an impressive voice to boot - Harris tore onto the stage with his opening track The Rain and barely found the breath to politely welcome and thank those in attendance before launching into popular song Merrymaking at my Place.
One small criticism remains in Harris’ sometimes indulgent instrumental pieces and for one small moment in the middle of it all, the crowd shuffled nervously with boredom setting in.
But he turned it round in an instant, maybe sensing the atmosphere, by sending everyone into raptures with new single Flashback and his number three track The Girls from his first album I Created Disco accompanied by a near-psychedelic light show.
English R’n’B/pop artist Mr Hudson was due to support but pulled out of the show due to illness, or - as Harris put it - “off somewhere with Jay-Z or something”.
The job of warming up an expectant crowd fell instead to London-based David E. Sugar and although he was powerless to fill the void left by Hudson, the crowd were appreciative of his skills on the decks and his dash from down south to take part.
2009 has undoubtedly been another landmark year for the Dumfries-born artist, with a UK and Paris tour that has sold out almost every of its 21 dates, a number one album in Ready for the Weekend, his internet smash Jam TV and various collaborations with Dizzee Rascal, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and one Kylie Minogue. Now all he has to do is try to top it all next year with yet more floor fillers, be it as the front man or as the producer.
Last updated: 05 November 2009, 11:47
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