Nick Harper at Edinburgh Theatre East End (Festival Fringe)
by Rob Adams - from the Glasgow Herald, 28 August 1996


Listening to the man who made Roy Harper a grandfather can be like reliving a previous life. All Harper the Son qualities are there: the vocal swoops, the tone, and the notes held, hovering at improbable length; the percussive guitar style, the open tunings, even the violin-style tuning pegs; and the balance of raging cynicism and purply romance.

But for all that son idolises father - "you're still my hero, you crazy weirdo" - and his songs often resemble chips off the old block, he has no need to trade solely on the family name. Strong, confident singing, guitar playing that gives one amplified acoustic the force of a heavy metal band, a singular choice of covers (Jerry Reed's Guitar Man segued into Whole Lotta Love, and Frank Zappa's Cosmic Debris given a Mississippi slant), and an endearing onstage manner must surely find him an audience who won't say "kent yer faither".



Created 16 October 2002
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