Live review: Har Mar Superstar

Published on Friday 11 July 2008 01:05

HAR MAR SUPERSTAR *** KING TUT'S, GLASGOW

PROFESSIONAL tease Har Mar Superstar is back. But when you have already seen the short, tubby Los Angeles love god stripped down to his scuzzy smalls on stage, all the performance mystique is gone. There isn't really much novelty appeal left over either. But that did not deter the King Tut's crowd from whooping at Har Mar's every sweaty gyration like an excitable hen party.

The thing is, the majority of his audience were apparently heterosexual blokes. What's in this electro-sleaze striptease for them? Were they here for tips on how to make the most of what little you have got? Or was this just pure enjoyment of a playful cabaret act which also happens to feature some sterling helium soul vocals in the Prince/Stevie/Jacko tradition?

The set was mostly powered by filth and innuendo (sample lyric: "let me taste your apple sauce") delivered over an electro-funk backing track, but there were sweet interludes. At one point, Har Mar took a leisurely stroll through the audience during his faithful cover of Gilbert O'Sullivan's Alone Again (Naturally), where he was joined on the stairs of the venue in a tableau of togetherness by a (male) fan – who then rather spoiled the moment with a squeamish act of familiarity.

Har Mar was unperturbed, even offering to take everyone out after the gig. Clearly, that is the key to his success with the ladies – be inclusive.