You have to be a pretty confident new artist to play the single first at your gig. Usually it's tucked away for when people are getting a little jaded with the songs that they don't know. But Kid Harpoon must be confident that he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve, and with that 'The Milkmaid' kickstarts a showcase of what the Medway troubadour might have to offer in the future.
Tonight Kid Harpoon comes backed with his band – The Powers That Be – which means much of the acoustic sound that owners of the first two ep's will be familiar with, is somewhat absent. It's not necessarily a bad thing to beef up the songs, but already he has a selection of shows that show a varied approach to his work – and the only real criticism of the evening is that his range of styles isn't really reflected in this show.
'Riverside' sounds menacing but looks like great fun. The vocals rarely match the face, and that is surely some sort of talent. He leaps about rather happily whilst growling evil thoughts about the demise of a loved one. It sounds darker live than on 'The Second EP' and will surely go down in the future as one of the best of his early songs.
'Colours' offers a crowd pleasing highlight, as Mr Harpoon unplugs his guitar and joins us in the crowd to serenade us with this newbie. It's audience interaction like this that can win over the casual fan, and there has definitely been some work going into the show to make it interesting, and hopefully memorable. He seems to mean it, as well. It's a convincing performance full of expression, from someone who is clearly enjoying being on stage – and that has to be commended.
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As a set, it's definitely a collection of tales from the underbelly of the world. Mild deviants, sad situations – engaging short stories, essentially. It's a tight band performance with room for a small amount of improvisation.
There is another criticism of the show – it was only thirty five minutes long. We are led to believe that the man is prolific, and there were plenty of songs he could have played – and most there would have been willing to listen.
Whilst not as macabre or gruesome as some of his peers, Kid Harpoon offers something in terms of tales from the dark side – perhaps the more accessible side of the genre. There are some potential hits in this set tonight - songs that will make 'The Milkmaid' seem like a weak single - and the venues will surely continue to get bigger and bigger.
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