It was a without further ado moment. One of those moments that usually follow the determined pursuit of strong drink only this time the strong drink hadn’t had the time to take effect when I, with no ceremony whatsoever, made the musical acquaintance of Shauna Joy.
Two songs into her set and a phrase came to mind - good old fashioned musical values - and that just about sums the basic appeal of Ms Joy. Whether leading her songs with guitar or keyboards, she brought a classy blend of maturity and intelligence to her performance that was definitely unexpected. She honestly bears comparison to seminal songstresses like Jackie de Shannon or Libby Titus. Pure quality!
Quality didn’t really seem high on the next act’s agenda. Dave Hughes provided a good natured performance but the only thing he would bear comparison with was supermarket own brand lager. He’d do if you couldn’t afford anything else and were too proud to drink hairspray. Apparently he normally fronts a folk punk band so perhaps it was a case of me not having enough to drink. Mind you, the last time I drank that much, I threw up.
High Heel brought the evening to a close. Again a singer without a band (that would be High Heel and The Soles, by the way), she had that stylish, almost jazzy, blend of big voice and clever chords approach down to a tee. Charmingly effective, she was nonetheless on too late to steal the hearts she would normally steal.
Q. Does being in possession of a goatee beard improve your drinking ability?
A. Apparently not.