Calvin Harris at the Liquid Room, Edinburgh, 12th August

Tonight as a dance duo set the already exhilarating atmosphere alight for a man who is so egotistical he has proclaimed to have created disco, the sober ones of the audience can’t help feeling sceptical about tonight’s act. As a middle aged man appears in the crowd holding a glo-stick, is this really what dance music has come to? After all Calvin Harris, who has diluted dance to the masses doesn’t appear to be the act you’d come to for a reinvention of Ibiza, but as the crowd chant “Calvin! Calvin! Calvin fucking Harris!” they make him out to be a dance God. There is even a ‘Calvin Says’ t-shirt on display. Though God help us all if we were to actually follow the prophet Calvin, for when he appears onstage all he can muster from his holy lips is “How are you all doing tonight?” Of course this is responded with rapturous uncontrollable screams, along with anything Calvin cares to do onstage, but looking from a musical perspective his set becomes more frustrating by the minute.

Watching Harris sabotage everything from Prince to Daft Punk, with equally crass lyrics is unbelievable as you stare in disbelief at the hoards of fans screaming at his feet. Each song remains one chord change away from the last and Harris’ idea of developing a song literally consists of him raising the sound levels to Ministry of Sound status. His onstage persona also remains so wooden that even his followers show more excitement towards an oatcake thrown into the audience than the singer announcing the ending of his relationship with a girlfriend.

All we can hope is, as the singer finishes his set in his own custom made t-shirt with the over bellowing sound of “I Created Disco”, that the ego will eat itself and dance can be returned to the true pioneers.

This review can also be found at www.threeweeks.co.uk