Ed Harcourt

It is very easy to dismiss* Ed Harcourt *as Just Another Singer/Songwriter, but walking into the Classic Grand tonight, the sight you are presented with forces that presumption to disappear. The stage is drenched in the dim glow of floral fairy lights, and a small table lamp is placed simply atop the imposing grand piano in the middle of the setting. Amidst the subtle opulence of the venue itself, Ed Harcourt has created an intimate, personal space to perform, closing the void between artist and audience.

We've just been treated to the captivating voice of Cortney Tidwell. Her heart-wrenching odes to love and loss have been described as akin to a slightly more demure Björk, but to be honest, as enchanting as it all sounds, it lacks the energy and voltage that could make it exceptional.

Ed Harcourt's arrival onstage is a welcome one. This is a man who for just around an hour and a half can have you in the palm of his hand, guiding you up and down through moments of stripped-down simplicity as well as complex and layered pieces which are built up beautifully. His guitar- and piano-based blend of romance and melodrama, mixed with consistently charming and personable lyrics, is like a magic potion: it bewitches the audience completely. With candid odes and rousing epics sitting side by side, this collection of songs from all four albums, with a little dry English wit for onstage banter, warms the coldest of hearts tonight.

Classics such as_ 'This One's For You'_ and 'Watching The Sun Come Up' are woven with new material from lastest album, The Beautiful Lie, sending the small but relatively enthusiatic group of devoted Harcourt fans into a frenzy. He closes with_ 'Apple Of My Eye'_ from his debut album Here Be Monsters, leaving the crowd feeling like they've just witnessed something very special. It's only now that the audience seems to become appreciative en masse - the song finally gets people's toes tapping and, shock horror, even clapping along.