Issue 104 / October 2019

Edwyn Collins
Harvest Sun @ Arts Club – 07/09
Of the many reasons there are to love EDWYN COLLINS,
one that is clear tonight is his genial nature and sense of humour.
Referring to us in a deadpan tone as “the audience”, throughout
the night he gently directs proceedings, telling us when to be
quiet and introducing his songs with an engaging warmth; his
laugh is a guffaw and he has a sense of mischief. And that’s
before we’ve even got to the music, or that voice.
The audience is mixed, but the majority are comprised of
Edwyn Collins aficionados, those of a certain vintage whose
cheers are as buoyant as their quiffs. Shouts of “Go on Edwyn,
lad” punctuate the night, creating a really nice atmosphere at this
packed, sweaty gig.
He spans the decades with a comprehensive playlist that
showcases his talent. From the start of his career with the postpunk
1980s Orange Juice songs, including What Presence?! and
Blue Boy, to the pop perfection of 1994’s ubiquitous solo hit
A Girl Like You, with the reflective songs from his most recent
album Badbea dropped in through the course of the night.
His accompanying band are brilliant and capture the uptempo
essence of his back catalogue, as well as the more mellow
yet still perfectly pitched recent songs. The upbeat, radio-friendly
Outside rocks the room. As he says, it’s got an “Iggy Pop voice
and Buzzcocks sound”. The playing is relaxed and fills the room
without ever overpowering the vocals or rhythm section.
The biggest cheers come after Collins performs In Your Eyes,
from 2010’s Losing Sleep, as a duet with his son, William. And
while a saccharine emotion is not always welcome at a gig, it’s a
sincere reaction. What’s even sweeter is that William can be seen
pogoing away to his dad’s hits from behind the merchandise stall
later. Good songs just don’t date.
The guitar riffs move with ease from soul to post-punk to
pop, throbbing through the venue. There’s some swaying from
the audience, but, William aside, it’s a rather static gig – possibly
as a result of the overwhelming heat and lack of air inside, or
because it’s a relatively gentle affair.
The production on the album versions gives the tracks an
energy and grit that is missing a little from their live counterparts,
while a change in pace would help to lift the second part. Saying
this, Edwyn’s voice is beautiful with a rich tone that you would be
happy listening to for a good while.
The more commercial material comes in a glut towards the
end, with Rip It Up one of the last songs before the encore. He
states towards the end of the set that he’s “exhausted”, but that
doesn’t stop an encore that includes a harmonica solo, which
we’re warned we must “shh” for.
Edwyn’s whimsical sense of humour and mellow nature
entertains as much as his sonorous voice. Using his walking cane,
he directs the audience, indicating which half should sing and
cheer at which point – and we adhere to his commands, possibly
because he does it with a massive grin (there’s also a “behave
Edwyn Collins (Darren Aston)
yourselves”, accompanied by an arch smile).
Plainly, it’s a really nice evening with a really nice man who
so happens to have perfected the craft of catchy pop songs and
poignant love songs, all slung together with an originality and a
voice that should have made him millions. He’s affable, talented
and unorthodox and all the better for it.
Jennie Macaulay
REVIEWS 41