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SxSW 2008 Live: Ed Harcourt

Ed Harcourt Live at Smokin Music - SxSW Festival 2008

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Ed Harcourt SxSW2008

Written By:

Ross Riley

13th March 2008
At 16:27 GMT

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As the light faded, leading us into the opening night of this year's festival, Austin was finally starting to simmer with a warm buzz of excitement.

On the other side of town REM, the grandfathers of American Alt Rock had been soundchecking in the early evening and a queue for the midnight show had been forming since mid afternoon.

In 2003, just after the release of one of Ed Harcourt's more successful records - From Every Sphere - he was to be found on the bill of REM's US tour. Tonight he had attracted his own crowd to the Smokin' Music venue a subtly lit setting for an intimate show.

Harcourt appeared on stage with a crowd-pleasing pair of red cowboy boots, whilst still looking every inch an English gentleman. The set is a pleasant run through of material, the sound engineers struggle briefly when he attempts to switch from microphone to an amplified telephone (it was worth it).

Overall Harcourt endeared himself to the audience with a well performed set and his pleasant talkative manner, it might not have been he numbers that REM had but it did capture the spirit of what is great about South By Southwest.