A packed room were treated to a stunning evening in the Back Room Cottingham. Nick was burning with brilliance and it all came together in a thriller. The crowd were roaring with approval.
The voice was absolutely perfect – right up into that higher register that he does so well. The guitar playing was also perfect, nimble finger-work picking out all those intricate runs, the heavy chord-work driving songs forward into paroxysms of excitement and unfettered power, the bending notes, tuning and harmonics creating a range of extraordinary embellishments and a choice of songs that created such a dynamic set. This had it all.
I always enjoy Nick’s playing but this was something above the normal and out into the extraordinary. There were times when the power of his performance made him a one man punk band and others when the beauty of his songs created an ethereal beauty. the range was spectacular from lilting delicacy to strident raw energy.
Couple that with Nick’s personality, humour and wit and we were treated to a brilliant night. One of the best I have been too in a long, long while. the dynamic was superb and the whole momentum really chugged. The crowd loved it.
Nick introduced two covers into his act – the brilliant interpretation of Pink Floyd’s Shine on you Crazy Diamond and a tribute to Prince – a really beautiful Nick Harper version of Purple Rain that transformed the song into something else – incredible.
After the show I talked to three people who had never seen Nick perform before and they were completely stunned by what they had witnessed. They could not believe the power of the performance, the unbelievable guitar playing, the songs, the voice and the stage performance. All three told me they had never seen anything like it before. They were knocked out.
He headed off today bound for Newcastle tonight and then Berwick on Sunday. If you haven’t seen him then go along – he is on fire!
A big thank you to Rich and Lou for organising the whole thing and kicking off the evening with a great set of their own. A lot of work goes into organising and promoting events. It must be extremely fulfilling to have organised something that worked so well and was as special as this.
Thanks must also go to Paul Sutton. The Back Room is a great venue for gigs. The atmosphere was great. (The beer wasn’t bad either).
I’ll sort out a few photos! And even a video or two!