The Hanover Grand lacked atmosphere until Morten Harket stepped on stage. As the house lights outlined his arrival, he in turn illuminated me with all the charisma and definite aura he possessed and began putting the personal touch to songs that had courted me for several weeks past. It didn’t matter that he played only a 35 minute set, I was humbled at the privilege of being there at all - holding onto that rare cardboard invitation as if it were gold dust seeping through my fingers into a breeze.
The seven tracks he did play that evening formed the backbone of his outstanding debut release:-”A Kind Of Christmas Card”, “Wild Seed”, “Lord”, “Half In Love..”, “Spanish Steps”, “Lay Me Down Tonight” and “Ready To Go Home” each professing a different emotional feel and message with a loud and funky “Ape Angel” giving a taste of a promising future release.
Although the 22nd of January was a great night for music with some of the most gifted musicians stood upon one stage, it was a sad one for real music listeners as this was an affair of a promotional nature - a one off showcase for the media, Family and friends indulging in a free bar and hors d’oeuvres that didn’t gel with the overall feel of the club. But, worse still, for Morten especially was the hypocrisy of WEA begging for his success while Record Company neglect kept the record buyers at home and for the rest of the time in the dark about his availablity.
Morten was so wasted on the press. They didn’t give a damn about ‘Wild Seed’, never would no matter how much passion, conviction and energy he put into that performance and as my heart pulsated in tune with the music that uplifted and somehow cleansed my spirit, I also felt an undeniable anger and sorrow of the music politics that would, indeed had stopped Morten from making his fresh start a success. Yet regardless, on Monday evening at 8pm I had never seen Morten so content on stage, so involved and not lost in his own secret world because ‘Wild Seed’ is his world and he gave everything he could to make it breathe, oozing a sense of pride and a freedom his own melodies poured over him.
It’s been said that when Morten Harket enters a room, there isn’t a person there who doesn’t know about it, but when he graces the stage to perform ..well for me, that is when he can set a room on fire.