First on stage at The Waterfront were The Magic Numbers. Looking like a cross between The Corrs and The Kings of Leon, they provided more than an ample warm up for the crowd. With their jaunty riffs and inclusion of Summer of Love staples the tambourine and melodica, The Magic Numbers reminded the listener why music should be fun. Despite their plundering of the record vaults the sound is original and a breath of fresh air amongst the New York influenced angry guitar bands currently hogging the limelight. Ed Harcourt then faltered onto the stage wearing a jacket, tie and jeans combination and living up to all preconceptions the uninitiated may have had about him. Hunched over his keyboard, eyes down behind his straggly unkempt fringe, he looked the epitome of the lovelorn bar room loser Tom Waits sang about. The set began in a subdued manner with Harcourt playing the more poignant songs from his repertoire. His voice reaching a crescendo before returning to an introspective lament and dashing anybody’s hopes of the evening livening up. When he thanked people for coming to see him at The Waterfront on a wet, cold Norwich night it was hard not to think that the atmosphere inside was becoming alarmingly similar to that outside. The crowd’s reactions to the music emphasised his reputation. Nobody moved! When people dared to speak over his songs he either shot them a look that could kill or more tellingly made a joke of it. On one occasion the chords were stalled as Harcourt jokingly looked at his watch, waiting for the muttering to stop. It underlined the paradox he epitomises. The too-cool artist who wants people to listen to what he has to say and the self-doubting joker who is almost embarrassed to receive the adulation of his fans.  | | Ed hunched over his keyboard |
During songs he paid more attention to his band and technicians than the audience, checking the levels on his amps and the volume of the backing instruments. It was refreshing to see a performer putting so much care into a live set. The most animated he was all night was when he lambasted the American voters for re-electing George W Bush. This proved the ice breaker the evening needed. The interaction between the stage and pit livened up the atmosphere and Harcourt took up his guitar and faced the crowd for the first time. The music that followed couldn’t have been more different if the entire band had been changed. Mixing Muse-esque guitars with a trumpet player who sounded as if he had swallowed a bumble bee, violins with a banjo played in a way Hendrix would have been proud of, the music buzzed with a Latin American undertone. By the time the audience requested a song for the late John Peel, Harcourt had already won them over. His quip “Why John Peel and not Simon Cowell?” was met with genuine affection. Harcourt is undoubtedly a talented musician. During the evening he demonstrated his guitar, keyboard, harmonica and one handed drumming techniques. He gives the impression of being that rare breed – a talented wordsmith with the ability to complement his lyrics with meaningful music. The evening may have started off in a slow manner but once Harcourt hit his stride he justified his reputation as one of the most promising talents of his generation. Ed Harcourt played at The Waterfront on Wednesday 3 November, 2004.
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