Like Beck, Har Mar is a man who combines good-time party tunes with wickedly funny banter and general mischief. He has the ability to make you dance and laugh, which is no mean feat.
He performs the track ‘Cut Me Up’ (co-written by Karen O) with the mic clipped to his sweater, which allows him to do some push-ups whilst he sings the final verse. Introducing the following number, ‘Girls Only’, he explains that it was written for US pop act The Cheetah Girls, and acknowledges that “it’s more creepy when I perform it by myself”.
Declaring that he wants “to get a little more intimate”, Har Mar wanders out into the crowd whilst singing a cover of Gilbert O’Sullivan’s ‘Alone Again Naturally’, and orders three shots of Jagermeister for himself and his band. Unbelievably, he actually tops this by performing the final section of ‘EZ Pass’ whilst doing what I can only describe as a headstand (as opposed to a handstand), then strips down to his underpants and throws all manner of sleazy moves for the final song.
Of course, given that Har Mar is balding and overweight, the irony here is so arch you could drive a double-decker bus underneath, but this was still one of the most enjoyable live performances I’ve witnessed this year. Not to be outdone, Sia and her band enter wearing the day-glo costumes they sported during their recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and get the whole place jumping with a superb rendition of ‘Buttons’.
As this is the last night of her European tour, spirits are predictably high, and Sia expresses her nervousness about being pranked by Har Mar Superstar. Sure enough, after just a couple of songs, Har Mar parades through the venue with a bagpipe player named Raoul, whom he explains he met earlier in the day on Grafton Street.
As for her own music, well, at times Sia’s sound is a little too middle-of-the road for my tastes, but it’s impossible not to be won over by her charm, humour and fantastic voice. Her accomplished band also impress, and they really hit a killer groove on ‘The Girl You Lost To Cocaine’, the drumbeat of which is reminiscent of Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’.
Undoubtedly, though, Sia’s ace card is ‘Breathe Me’, an emotionally raw ballad used to unforgettable effect in the finale of Six Feet Under. It’s the ideal way to conclude a wonderful evening.