Monday 25th July - Hayseed Dixie at The Cockpit, Leeds By Joe Malarky (2/2) Whole lotta Dixie

(1/2), (2/2).

All looked the part except the very sensibly named bass player, Jason Smith. He appeared to have been kidnapped from some boy band and probably held against his will. The not so sensibly named Front man, Barley Scotch engaged the audience with some very adroit banter which made me think that pig wrestling wasn't such a meaningless pastime after all. He had an excellent voice which he put to good affect during songs such as Whole Lotta Love and Fat Bottomed Girls and he can play as well, switching effortlessly between guitar and fiddle with equal aplomb.

The rest of the band were no slouches either. Dale Reno strutted across the stage in true Angus Young fashion as he threatened to strum the life out of his mandolin. His flashing digits just a blur as he fingered the tiny fretboard through classic rock solos. His brother, Don Wayne showed equal mastery of the banjo taking turn on rythym and lead.

Even Jason managed a ubiquitous bass solo or two. This isn't just a rock cover band though; they have a smattering of self-penned numbers alongside the odd country classic. My personal favourite was the sublime ode to unrequited love, I Keep Your Poop in a Jar. Barley kept the humour and class level high with his response to the question every American who sets foot on our shores is asked, what do you think of Bush? He entered into a monologue on female grooming, with the conclusion that he and the band were very much in favour of Bush.

By way of a tribute to Don Wayne and Dale's dear departed daddy, who was also a banjo player of some repute, the band did a truly awesome version of Duelling Banjos, despite the guitarist having snapped a string and broken a tuning peg earlier.

They rounded off the set with their trade mark AC/DC tune, Highway to Hell and the crowd cried out for more and were duly rewarded with an encore. I really can't remember when I've seen a band work this hard or when I have had so much fun. They have hit on a formula which works and it is surely only a matter of time before they are very big indeed. Having played Glastonbury they are touring into the autumn here, so catch them while you still can at venues so intimate, you can almost smell the moonshine. As for the image, I think it's for real.

Dolly Parton once famously said that, it cost so much to look that cheap. As these guys reminded us more than once, any such expenditure would eat into their beer fund and they are not about to start doing that. www.hayseed-dixie.com

Music Reviews - 6th June 05 - Brian McFadden at Hull City Hall By Matt Rudd
	Brian Mcfadden is obviously very well known in the music world with his success within the boy band Westlife. But unfortunately for girls everywhere, Westlife split up. However, this wasn't the end for Brian; he went on to become, well, a rock star. And on June 6th he came to the Hull City Hall and I was there as Steve (my brother) had won some tickets Read more...

Music Reviews - 18th/19th June 05 - Under The Influence Big Weekender at Adelphi and Welly By Michelle Dee
	On a weekend that saw John Hassal's new band Yeti headline at Silhouette, local promoter Dean Shakespeare of U.T.I. but together an equally good mix of home grown and out of town musical talent. Saturday saw new local talent The Black Outs supporting Blue Sand and The Landaus. Hogboy had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances so the Landaus got bumped up the billing. The Black Outs Read more...

Music Reviews - Friday 20th May - The Music with Youth Group at Asylum By Andy Dykes
	It's hard to believe that Asylum at Hull University Union could be full of students, all suited, booted and blind drunk celebrating at the end of year ball. Now that the summer break has hit and the university is all but devoid of students, it's great to see that there is still a huge crowd at the venue tonight to welcome The Music. Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 2nd June 05 - Baggott and Baz's Jam Night at Staks Bar Beverley Rd By Chu Nin Photo Gallery By Meso Orney
	The night kicks of in fine form, with Baz lead guitar with the Dirty Dreamers and lead singer Paul Baggot from Turismo covering a few Kinks, Stones and Oasis numbers. As more people arrive, Matt Addison and Danny Tonkin from The Johnsons take the floor and play acoustic versions of the popular Oh No, the crowd pleaser Misfortunate Love and other Read more...

Music Reviews - Monday 2nd May 05 - Sweet n Sour All Day Indie Fest Featuring Top Local Bands By Michelle Dee and a Massive 30 Page Photo Gallery by Darren Rogers
	On Bank Holiday Monday Silhouette hosted a twelve-band extravaganza organized by James Applewhite featuring one of the best local line-ups since some small scale gathering of Hulls finest in January. There were also various festival stalls, with clothes and accessories from NSO and politically motivated campaign stalls from the Green Party and the Legalize Cannabis Campaign. Read more...

Music Reviews - Pozition Night Club Rock Night - Wednesday 18th May 05 By Michelle Dee
	After witnessing another fantastic performance by Ernest at the Adelphi last Wednesday I decided to accept an invitation to the Pozition night club on George Street. I paid the three pounds entry fee and received in return a little ticket informing me that I was female; so far so good. I walked into a large industrial style arena Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 28th May - The Rakes at Yo-Yo - Jumping For Victory By Andrew Coe 6 Page Photo Gallery By Darren Rogers
	NME favourites The Rakes came to Hull and conquered with their choppy, wire-like guitar riffs and a front man who can't keep still. If The Rakes frontman Alan Donohoe were still at school, he'd be told off repeatedly for fidgeting in class. For the duration of the band's 12-song set at Yo-Yo at The Welly, Hull on Saturday night Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 21st May 05 - Under The Influence Presents Mystery Jets at the New Adelphi By Emily Photo Gallery By Michelle Dee
	It is not very often you find a band that excites you, I mean really excites you. Yet it seems that the Mystery Jets might just be the band for the job. As painfully honest as it is the Hull scene has needed a kick up the ass for some time now. While still maintaining the stunning talent on show in pubs and clubs all over the city, a firm kick is needed to rid it of the Indie addiction and mullet pretension. Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 14th May 05 - Power Metal UK at Ringside - Pitiful Reign, Soulflame, Infobia, Humanity and Deliverance. By Michelle Dee
	I shan't try and compare the acts that performed at the Power Metal UK night with any other well-known bands of similar genre. I have no desire to try and talk authoritatively on a school of music I haven't followed since the early days of Terrorvision and Silverchair. However, Deliverance the headlining band, from Italy, have definite Read more...

Music Gig Gallery - Wednesday 30th March 05 - Break Even, The Vultures and Soulflame at The Ringside By Michelle Dee
	Sometimes we get photographs of a Gig in without a review. This 3 page Photo Gallery of Break Even, The Vultures and Soulflame at The Ringside Hull Wednesday 30th March 05 by By Michelle Dee. Check it out... Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 1st May - Rock the Vote at The Adelphi By Lucy Kynman
	Last night's amalgamation of Elobo and Funky for Rock the Vote, dedicated to raising funds and showing the local area's support for the green party and candidate Martin Deane, was a great success! Green being the theme for the night, can I just say well done to Alice; when it comes to creativity and a unique sense for interior design you never fail to hit the mark! Read more...

Music Reviews - Saturday 23rd April - Hard-Fi, Boy Kill Boy and Turismo at Sweet n Sour, Silhouette Club By Dick Spring with a terrfic 9 page Photo Gallery By Darren Rogers
	On arrival at the front of the club I find a queue waiting to get in, so this must be some measure of the demand for this show tonight (oh, the power of hype) though a top ten single can't have helped the headline band's cause at all! It was indeed packed out, it took me twenty minutes to get a drink, which is something that needs to be addressed by Read more...

Music Reviews - Thursday 21st April - Ernest, Rumpus, Scaramanga Six and Fonda 500 at the Adelphi Happy as a Sandman By Michelle Dee
	What a fantastic night. No really, if you weren't there then you missed out on seeing some of the finest bands the other side of sanity. The monthly local music magazine, oft slated in its own backyard landed a winning formula tonight. Ernest, who everyone should experience, continue to be spine tingling and achingly beautiful. Last night they grabbed Read more...

Music Gig Gallery - Tuesday 22nd February - Thee Unstrung, Park and Ride, 59 Violets and Blue Slide Circle at Under The Influence at the Adelphi Club By Michelle Dee and Cilla
	Sometimes we get photographs of a Gig in without a review. This 6 page Photo Gallery of Thee Unstrung, Park and Ride, 59 Violets and Blue Slide Circle at Under The Influence at the Adelphi Club Hull Tuesday 22nd February 2005 by By Michelle Dee and Cilla. Read more...

Music Reviews - Midge Ure at Pocklington Arts Centre - Wednesday 13th April 05 By Steve Rudd
	Let me first just say that the Pocklington Arts Centre is a truly fantastic venue, and it's quite amazing that such a quality venue graces a town that is so small. Nestling perfectly to one side of the town's charming Market Square, this venue is a theatre, concert hall and Read more...

Music Gig Gallery - Thursday 24th February 2005 - Art Brut, The Applewhites and Blue Sand at Under The Influence at the Adelphi Club By Darren Rogers
	Sometimes we get photographs of a past Gig in without a review. This 11 page Photo Gallery of Art Brut, The Applewhites and Blue Sand at Under The Influence, Hull Thursday 24th February 2005 by Darren Rogers is too good to miss so I'm publishing it for you to enjoy. Read more...

Music Reviews - 17th March 05 - Ernest Conquer Camden Underworld By Michelle Dee
	On a Thursday afternoon I stood outside Debenhams in town waiting for the minibus to arrive from Hedon. Today I was travelling to London to see Ernest headline in Camden. The ten-seater minibus arrived at around half three and I was ushered inside by some rather excited Read more...

Music Reviews - Access To Music UK Tour at the Welly Club 2005 By Michelle Dee - Updated 4 Page Photo Gallery.
	Tuesday, the first day of March, saw as many as three hundred students from all over the region come together to flex their musical muscle. Colleges from Scarborough, York, Lincoln and Hull gathered at the Welly: on Beverley Rd to take part in a four and a half hour long musical showcase. The event Read more...