AMERICANA singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves is no stranger to the area, and though he hadn’t the luxury of a band this time around, with fellow singer-songwriter Michael O’Connor in support on acoustic guitar, it gave his finely-honed songs a greater intimacy.

Ditching the PA for the first six songs because of a technical hitch, enabled the audience to sample his music in a pure organic mode. Work from his current album, in the form of the superbly-penned Hard To Believe and easyflowing Green Mountains and Me, figured alongside favourites from his South Austin drinking catalogue Horseshoe Lounge and Drinkin’ Days that always get a huge cheer. As requests came in thick and fast Cleaves left as few unsung as possible and did not flood his set with new songs. His arguably bestknown song, Broke Down, was superb and when he took us for a drive with Race Car Joe, Cleaves and O’Connor with the look of a biker, fitted the slot perfectly.

Mining song Lydia rivalled most that followed. Breakfast in Hell, as ever, gained audience participation while, with O’Connor playing slide, they moved up a gear to leave us with Last Of The V-8s.

As for the obligatory encore, the rousing One Good Year ensured everyone went home content in the knowledge that Cleaves is still setting the benchmark.

Maurice Hope