Ever witness a performance so effortlessly brilliant that you find yourself almost hateful towards the artist? I certainly hadn't, but then again, I hadn't encountered Dale Watson.
The night began with a spirited performance from Georgia's own Claude Diamond. Taking us out on the "Highway of Life", Claude - cutting a lonely figure on stage - delivered a set of heartfelt folk-tinged country songs. Out on the Salt" was a pleasing Cajun number. Recognising his wife's dedication to his career, "Someone I Need" served as a loving reminder of all the little quirks and imperfections that make commitment worthwhile. Coming from a man of Diamond's experience, you best believe what he says. Ending with a one-man rockabilly rouser, the audience gave him a deserved send-off, and with any luck, Claude will be winging his way back to Scottish soil very soon.
Dale Watson is the sort of artist, who, irrespective of his musical leanings, is infuriatingly hard to fault. Holding a near-fearsome presence onstage, the bond between crowd and crooner was electric. Flanked by the immensely talented Redd Volkaert (a regular in Merle Haggard's band - What more need be said?), it was apparent from the start that this crowd was in for a treat. "Time Without You" was very much a song for all country songs to go by. "Hollywood Hillbilly" was Dale's almost-gay homage to Jackass star Johnny Knoxville. While none too bad musically, it almost seems that Dale is reveling in his celebrity status. No harm there, of course, unless the quality of his music suffers as a result. It didn't seem to, as the band seemed as pleased to be performing the song as Dale.
"Blessed Or Damned" slowed the proceedings somewhat, but "Justice for All" was another country number centered around the Dale's smooth baritone. The inevitable comparison to Johnny Cash, both in lyrics and in voice, is certainly merited, and although Watson is probably sick to death of the comparison, it is meant with greatest respect to both artists. Watson and his two-piece band drove on with a powerful set, gathering momentum with each song. The depressing "From the Cradle to the Grave" - perhaps the hardest-hitting song of the night - led us to Watson's own tribute to The Man in Black, the decidedly frantic "Runaway Train". Watson carries a masterful understanding of country music, while knowing his own strengths and playing on them, rather than wholly imitating others. Not being allowed to finish without an encore, Watson and his band returned with a superb rendition Merle Haggard's "Hungry Eyes".