With a new album, The Last Guitar, released it’s time to go see Nick Harper again. Something we always welcome.
For those unfamiliar, Harper is a modern day troubadour: A man that with a guitar and songs that can melt your heart. But, from a simple rock ‘n’ roll perspective he’s one of the most astounding and inventive guitar players you are ever likely to see. Were it not for the resulting noises, there’sd be laws against how he treats that guitar. It’s truly astounding. Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker is the near spit of the man. And, once realising this, his character’s intensity and obsession takes on a completely different emphasis.
There must be something in the water in Shropshire. This lad seems to be walking a similar neo-pagan path as near-neighbour Julian Cope. Just without the self-mythologising and posturing. And, we’ll let him off with the occasional near hippy lyric as the underlying message is about another way. He tells us he’s not on the left, not on the right, but way out there.
There’s a very bizarre interlude when someone who may or may not be the promoter – she has kept his wine glass gladly charged throughout – indulges in some very get-a-room flirtation. As with everything Harper does it is handled with great grace, humility and a lot of humour.
“They seem to have pigeonholed me as Folk” he opines “so, I wrote a folk song” and he gives us Fields Of The Cloth Of Gold in which he shows the folkies how it really should be done. (I had one of those arguments with a friend about this when they first saw him doing it. Y’know the one: Look it’s an original.) And, he’s right. Not only does Harpic not deserve pigeonholing, but he’s far more rock than most of the so-called rock bands about at the moment. At his most epic you could swear you were listening to Muse. Except it’s just one guy with an acoustic guitar. This is a good thing.
By the close a slightly withdrawn audience are baying for more. He’s near carried shoulder high in triumph.
Haste ye back, sir. And, next time, you lot come see. I’m almost tempted to offer you a money-back guarantee.
- A New International - 5 March 2015
- The Phantom Band - 25 January 2015
- Deux Furieuses - 16 October 2014