Live Review

Calvin Harris – Manchester Academy

• 30th Oct 2009

There have been some fantastic endings in the history of popular culture. In the final scene of Quadrophenia, as the motorbike is seen falling to the sea, in Hamlet as the culmination of confusion and depression results in chaos and misery and even in the death of comedy legend Tommy Cooper who passed away on stage, a fitting end for the ultimate performer.

However, none of these endings carried as much euphoria or magnificence as the finale of a Calvin Harris concert. As the strings of “I’m Not Alone” resonate with effortless ambience, moments in time shiver and stop, relationships cease to exist and heat, sweat and discomfort become meaningless. The synchronised sway of mass-enjoyment that culminates with hundreds of voices straining to beat out a synthetic siren is more than a final dance; it is an everlasting example of human joy that will continue deep into the train journey home and long into the morning after.

Like all endings though, what comes before it ultimately decides how brilliant it will be.

In an opening segment of macabre lighting and mysterious chord-patterns, his backing band dressed in all black, similar to Derren Brown’s favoured attire, perform a brand of electronic wizardry that continues throughout a set that allows Mr Harris to practice his own brand of P.W.A, not Perception Without Awareness like Derren, but instead Power With Anthems!

They do not act as if to be anything more than creations of a fun mind; they are ballads for the sure of heart and the loose of hips, techno hymns that need not pretend to be pretentious or sell out to a storyline, these are songs based on the simple and the suggestive and the young and the beautiful and when they’re mixed in a set that spans two albums, there is little time for rest. In fact, at times the onslaught of dance can be a little overwhelming, in a booster to his live set, Calvin Harris cannot resist adding a dash of acid house to his less radical songs from his first album “I Created Disco” proving that he not only created it, but managed to modernise and then perfect the darn thing!

The previously pop-tastic “Acceptable in the 80’s” is transformed into a tie-dyed, washed out rave, ironically something that would only really be acceptable in the 90’s. Other highlights include the possible future single “You Used To Hold Me” which despite boasting a media friendly and stripped down sense of Now 95 catchiness is essentially a sped up, glamorised Joy Division track. With lyrics so desperate and heartfelt and a repeated line harking images of lost romance and cold hugs, the sentiment that lies beneath the glittery chorus is one of immense maturity and is in truth almost melancholy.

The melancholy does not last though as a silver tie wearing Harris; a Scottish terrier barking out demands and sucking on a juicy bone of success stands humble and happy, a jolly messiah to his neon disciples. As he waits, a reluctant heartthrob, all sixth senses are compelled into action. The scent of wet hair and face paint, the sight of shirtless sycophants, screaming sweet nothings to the calm ears of Calvin, the taste of forgotten rain and perspiration, the cruel and sticky contact of body on body, arm against arm, legs on shoulders and of course the ear-pleasing playing of drums, bongos, synthesisers, guitars and mouths all added something to the 24th October. But, it was the sixth sense that made the difference, a sense of anticipation, a sense of growth and a sense of glee. Happiness is everywhere at a Calvin Harris concert; on the smooth smile of Calvin, in the bitterness of the cold, in every one of his songs and on every one of his audience’s faces.

Description perhaps cannot truly describe the profound contentment that Calvin brings to people’s lives, instead it was left to a small boy, maybe 12 years old who crawled through the circle of hopping husbands to his mother’s side. As he stood clutching to her coat, he said grinning and wide eyed

“I’m so happy, but it’s just a bit mad!”

True enough, boy. True enough.