Jarvis - live review

INDIE POP

‘Did we pass the audition?’ enquired Jarvis Cocker (for it is he) towards the end of this well-received debut Scottish solo show. He gets to paraphrase John Lennon, to be fair, because over an hour-and-a-bit he proved just how flaccid most ‘pop stars’ look in comparison to himself these days.

He also managed to deflect the apparent marriage proposal of some bloke in the crowd and sing the praises of Zovirax (he should be sponsored by it, apparently). But such winning banter paled in comparison to the sheer zestful, incisive wonder of his new songs. Who else would write a gorgeous, textured Scott Walkeresque ballad and call it ‘I Will Kill Again’? Or take the powers that be to task with the ballistically direct chorus line ‘cunts are still running the world’ (‘Running The World’)? Or close by announcing ‘a song you might have heard before’, then bodyswerve the anticipated Pulp track for a blistering cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Sidewalking’? Jarvis, it’s been much too long.