So, what does one do when one finds oneself in Coatbridge on a Friday night? Common sense would suggest a rapid departure by the nearest available exit route but common sense was never my strong suit so I instead sought shelter in the salubrious surroundings of the Georgian Hotel where Diana Schad and Jesse Terry were providing the musical entertainment for the evening.
First up was Diana Schad. She knows a thing or two about cascading chords and, with but her voice and her hands on the keyboard, it did not take long for this listener to appreciate the pleasure her low key blend of sophistication and sentimentality could bring.
Talking of sentimentality, the main attraction was Jesse Terry. A new name to these ears although he has been around a while, as they say, he soon demonstrated the power of professional practice with a selection of songs that added the sheen of Nashville to the lyrical motivations of a folk singer. Sentimental he most certainly was yet his banter – as the locals say around here – provided proof that he was primarily an entertainer who could, in all likelihood, turn his rather fine voice to any genre that might take his fancy and, lest we forget the power of collaboration, keeping him company on stage tonight was Alan Fish who went on to prove the old saying – which I have I just invented - that two acoustic guitars are always better than one.
All in all, you pays your money and sometimes you end up getting more than you paid for. This was one such occasion and that’s not a bad deal in this part of the world or, indeed, any part of the world. Meanwhile, outside there were blue flashing lights. Oh dear, I am still in Coatbridge.