We Are The Ocean - Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, 20/10/2010

  by Tony Gaughan

published: 5 / 11 / 2010

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Article

Damon Gough a.k.a. Badly Drawn Boy certainly gives his fans value for money. His Mercury Prize winning debut album, 'The Hour of Bewilderbeast', spawned eighteen tracks. Tonight he was on sharp form and delivered an over two hour set to a clearly up for it crowd. Begining acoustically with 'The Shining', the opener from 'Bewilderbeast', which incorporated the Lotus Eaters' 'First Picture of You', he had plenty of material to choose from, and threw in early 'A Minor Incident' from his hugely popular 'About a Boy' soundtrack. He played this and other tracks during a fifty minute solo set with a guitar, piano and whatever he could lay his hands on. Gough was here to promote his latest release and seventh studio album, 'It's What I'm Thinking Pt 1: Photographing Snowflakes',which is self-released and introduced his backing band to help out on the newer material and with tracks like the title song and recent single, 'Too Many Miracles'. He has lost neither his wit or tendency to pen a stunning pop song. Damon constantly poked fun at himself throughout and seemed furious at his parents for "letting me be born in Dunstable." Sipping from a Badly Drawn Boy mug he hilariously "plugged the swag" including his "badly drawn" T-shirts. After a short "fag break" the band returned inviting requests from the audience where a brutally honest and thoroughly likeable Gough admitted to being bored to death with some of them. In a nice touch though he invited tour manager Steve McGuire to join the band for renditions of 'Magic in the Air' and 'Silent Sigh' before the finale of Springsteen's awesome 'Thunder Road'. No one but no one was short changed here unless they bought the deluxe £50+ album from the swag stall on the way home.

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