14th March 07 Moonbeams Acoustic Night At The Old Town Hall By Steve Rudd

Consistently featuring a wealth of talent, Leila Slater's acoustic Moonbeams events at The Bell are becoming bigger and better affairs every time. So much so that this, the third night of its kind, was relocated from The Maple Room into The Old Town Hall in order to accommodate the crowd. First act of the evening was Jasper & Smirt, a couple of local lads who have musical prowess and good humour to match. Performing a brief but brilliant set that consisted of their own material and a Tim Buckley cover, they perfectly set the mood.

Chris Brown subsequently treated the crowd to a couple of cowboy songs, before Abbie Lammas belted out a clutch of songs from her debut album, Heartbroken. Coming on like a cross between Avril Lavigne, Dolores O'Riordan and Amy McDonald, Abbie performed five numbers, including Give In, Ballerina Girl and Trapped. With a voice like hers, Abbie deserves to be signed in a flash. What's more, she's only fifteen.

Next up, Zoe Bottomley showed off her singing talents, ably accompanied by her father on guitar. Performing a captivating set of cover songs, highlights included mesmerizing versions of Kate Rusby's Falling, Neil Young's Like a Hurricane, and the haunting Caledonia.

Then came York's Hayley Hutchinson, a rising star since unleashing her debut album, Independently Blue. The daughter of former Bowie guitarist John Hutchinson, she's on the verge of releasing her second album, Love Songs For The Enemy. Like Abbie and Zoe before her, Hayley projected her bewitching voice to stunning effect, accompanying herself on guitar. Her influences are clear to hear, with the spirit of Emmylou Harris suffusing both her extraordinary singing voice and playing.

Last but not least, Duncan McFarlane and Anne Brivonese waltzed onto the stage. On guitar and vocals, Duncan had the crowd in stitches with his self-deprecating wit. Anne, meanwhile, let her fiddle do the talking, whipping up a blistering riot of melodies to support Duncan's frantic guitar strumming.

Having regularly wowed audiences on the Folk circuit since the late seventies, Duncan galloped through a mixture of traditional arrangements and his own self-penned tunes, opening with Three Gypsies and climaxing with Robin Hood's Bay by way of Can't Go There, the infectious Woodshed Boys, the haunting Turn The Bones Around, and Bed of Straw, the latter of which featured on his band's All Rogues and Villains album. Judging by the huge grin plastered across his face, Duncan enjoyed playing as much as the crowd enjoyed listening. Even better, he promised to return at some point in the future.

Naturally, all acts received a mighty round of applause. Credit where credit's due, the live music-loving mastermind behind the Moonbeams nights, Leila Slater, deserved not only a round of applause but a standing ovation for going out on a limb to entice such talented acts to town. Unfortunately, there's just one more Moonbeams before the summer break. To be held on 16 May, it's to feature Brother Crow plus supports. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/moonbeamsacoustic

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