Roy Harper
London Royal Festival Hall
5th November, 2011

Belatedly celebrating his 70th birthday (it was, as Roy pointed out, in June, and when the audience sang ‘happy birthday’, his response: ‘I hate that!’) So far, so Roy. Unfortunately, the traditional audience banter didn’t live up to that from the man himself and, as ever, Roy was emotional throughout, just holding it together for the filmed 130 minutes, as he endearingly attested. The mix of playing, observation and reminiscence remains unique, and his vocals and playing have worn well, as was evident from the opening Highway Blues, with its echoed vocal. Backed by an eight-piece strings and brass section for the melancholy Frozen Moment, he was joined by his son, Nick, for Me And My Woman, and after an interval, on Hallucinating Light, featuring some nifty, delicate fretwork all round. The cheery 12 Hours Of Sunset was preceded by wry anti-capital commentary in Commune and I Hate The White Man was as heart-felt as ever. Joanna Newsom had Roy close to tears on Another Day, before the 13-song set closed with an encore of the foot-tapping lilt of The Same Old Rock, featuring Jimmy Page, and the closing The Green Man. Hats off.