Mr Harris is truly on the crest of a wave at the moment. Rumours of cavorting with Kylie nudged him into the limelight, whilst first single ‘Acceptable in the 80’s’ made him notorious in his own right. But can the skinny electro-head from Dumfries really sustain his success? After all, if you’ve heard one electro beat you’ve heard them all, right?
Well, yes and no. Tut`s tonight is awash with bodies and glowsticks, arguably the busiest it’s been for any artist old or new. As is often the case, the pro-active youth in the audience have already heard the majority of these songs, despite his album not being released until the next Monday (ah, the wonders of piracy). It does however inject a rampant atmosphere into proceedings, and although the record appears to be an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to the rapturous reception of his first single, there is enough variety to keep ‘da youth moderately entertained.
`Merrymaking at My Place’ is a standout; the lead track from his modestly titled album, `I Created Disco`, has the funk factor to back up his claims of invention. Lyrically, it’s awful, (“Lots of people in ma front door, trying to get in ma front door”), but what dance-orientated music speaks of the works of Shakespeare? None, obviously – the words are driven by parties and the use of narcotic substances.
Harris remains likeable throughout, making small talk with a crowd that would gladly wipe the sweat off his arse, such is their adulation of him. He even at one point receives a cheer for tying his shoe; that’s surely when you realise how high he has scaled on the ladder.
The aforementioned ‘Acceptable in the 80’s’ and new single ‘Girls’ go down a storm, and the adeptness of his live band not only give the tunes an extra dimension, they allow Harris to be as flamboyant and bright as the neon necklaces that speckle the crowd. Sure, the tracks seem to blend into one pseudo-Kraftwerk organ-a-thon, but it’s the Earth Wind and Fire-esque basslines that give these tracks a crossover edge. When rounding off with the stunning Vegas, he appeared pretty pleased with himself.
Why not – with a hit record and supposedly a former Neighbours star in his back pocket, who am I to tell him that he can’t get all the Girls?