The venerable grandfather of folk, Roy Harper turned in a set for this, his 70th birthday celebration concert at the Royal Festival Hall, which showed that after nearly 50 years of writing and recording there is still plenty of life in the old cricketer.
Spanning generations, the audience was made up of those who had caught Harper when he first emerged on the folk circuit back in the 60s, through to teens not even born when classic songs such as Highway Blues and When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease came around the first time, but were treated to tonight in all their glory. Despite the odd heckle - a given at most Harper shows of old - from the more rumbustuous elements in the audience, most were in hushed awe as Harper, sitting astride a stool, silver hair glinting beneath the lights, paraded Me And My Woman, joined on this and Hallucinating Light by his son Nick, showing that his talent on acoustic guitar has been handed down in the family. The size of the venue not seeming to faze the man at all, indeed it felt more like a family gathered around for an intimate evening with a favourite balladeer.
For the man who was credited as the inspiration for Led Zeppelins Hats Off To Harper, fans might have been expecting that one of his old cohorts to make an appearance. They were not to be disappointed. Witnessing Jimmy Page take to the stage to play alongside on The Same Old Rock was just one of the many highlights that the night had to offer: the emotive duet with songstress and harpist Joanna Newsom on Another Day, was yet another. Harpers vocals may have deepened over the years and not reach quite the same height as those of his younger self, but are nonetheless evocative and poignant as they ride over Girl From The North Country, a song full of grace and yearning; dedicated to the late guitarist Bert Jansch and David Bedford. The latter who had passed away just the week before had been due to team up with Harper again on this occasion; in the event his place was taken by the Bedford Players, who provided the stirring brass and strings on When An Old Cricketer, amongst others.
With a back catalogue as exhaustive as the one Roy Harper possesses, this show could easily have run for three times the length; and no doubt many will be busting credit cards in the week ahead to purchase the recently released re-mastered collection of some of his finest songs, Songs of Love and Loss.
The term legend is today an often more mis-used and abuse done, but for Roy Harper it is one to whom it is truly applicable and fitting. Happy birthday, Roy - heres to your 80th.