You may have heard of Kid Harpoon. A London boy with a big smile, he is already gaining something of a reputation for his energetic live performances and Pied-Piper like gift for gathering fans. Dressed like a trendy ‘Artful Dodger’ and with a smile permanently fixed to his face, Kid Harpoon (real name Tom) is cheeky, earnest and engaging, ripping through an inspired set of his alleged 200 odd songs with an infectious vigour.
Having already supported the likes of The Kooks and Larrikin Love among others, it seems that right now everybody wants to be his friend. And who wouldn't; seemingly not interested in playing the quiet, moody, serious type, so associated with the term ‘singer / songwriter’ stereotype, the Kid has that all too rare ingredient – a sense of fun. His debut single Riverside is set for release on Brikabrak Records on 26th June.
It takes a lot of balls to start a set with a cover version, especially when it’s a track by overlord of misery, Leonard Cohen, but when Kid Harpoon takes to the stage and launches into First We Take Manhattan it only takes seconds for everything to fall into place. He assaults his guitar like a man possessed and turns the song into a speedy jig that might even force a smile from moody old Len himself.
His constant interaction with the crowd gives the sense that the Kid is certainly not a shy, introspective type of singer-songwriter. Debut single Riverside proves that he already has fans out there as sections of the crowd sing along to this bedraggled star in the making.
However, it is stand out track Colours where he showcases his lyrical prowess – a talent that could take him a long way - and displays a manic streak that brings to mind a skinny, blond Jack Black; alternating his feral growl with a shrieking falsetto.
The future of Kid Harpoon certainly looks very bright with record labels looking out and the fan base growing, but it seems that, more importantly, as long as he gets to keep playing – the Kid’ll keep smiling.
