Blast

At the entrance to the 2 Pigs, my bag is searched, my hand printed and fluorescent strip wrapped round my wrist. 

Cherryade is on sale behind the bar. I decanter my pink pop into a glass, topped up with lumps of ice sophistication and elbow my way into the pre-stage squeeze.

A mandolin is being played at breakneck speed by one of the seated couple crouched behind their guitars. This tour de force I find later to be Crow Crag.

I spot the distinctive afro of Joe Noel by the side of the bar, embedded in band of friends. I boldly go up to him and tap him on the shoulder. 

Crow Crag

Beer Garden

We gatecrash through an upstairs fire exit and record our discussion on a wet bench in the dark deserted beer garden below. 

Joe tells me he's always played music in some shape or form. After playing with various bands he began to make his own music. 

He tells me he has no qualms about playing solo. He wants to continue making music when he goes to university in Surrey this year.

Joe chivalrously unplugs the wooden plank slotted through the metal bars of the fire exit and we break through the double doors in the manner of Cassidy and the Sundance kid. 

Instead of American Native Indians, we are met by suspicious bouncers who are unable to deny our luminous yellow bracelets and grudgingly let us pass.

Back in 2 Pigs I uncork my second Cherryade and feel elation. I glance to my left and identify the face of Barnaby Eton Jones, one half of the fantastic Crow Crag who I have just witnessed. 

Barnaby and I have been in invisible correspondence since Wednesday. I can't wait to meet the man behind the greeting "Best Wishes and Rainbow fishes". 

Andy Williams & Pete Taylor

Taylor and Williams

His wishes, when I slide up the bar to greet him, are to take in the music of the newly formed Taylor and Williams. He informs me that Pete Taylor is the winner of Gloucestershire's 2007 best Folk Solo Award.
 
We move into the throng together. 

The melodies from the men standing behind their guitars are enchanting. I am unable to take my eyes off Pete Taylor during the song 'Tell me Stories'. 

He articulates and double strings the grimy love song with such finesse and fury that the whole audience is hushed during the unaccompanied vocal finale. 

With ease and perfect pitching, his liberated voice ambles round a 'Brother Where art Thou' warble and descending vocal steps, before finding a unique note to place the last word on. He articulates the 't' in his final 'heart' with a tickled whisper. Whoops come from the audience.

Graveyard

My interview with Crow Crag takes place rather morbidly in a graveyard. Martin, who I had the good fortune to witness blurring his fingers on the strings of the mandolin earlier, is still buzzing from the set. 

I am feeling the kicks from my third cherryade. We grin madly at each other. 

Tonight is the premiere of 'Crow Crag'.

The pair has been playing together as part of a larger group for years but only recently decided to form a duo.  

They tell me that they would like to spend their first Crow Crag tour frequenting UK villages and towns with rude titles. 

After the microphone has been switched off they tell me a few venues they would like to start with.

Joe Noel

Joe Noel

After interviewing the affable Pete Taylor and Andy Williams, who tell me about their recent collaboration and hopes for the coming year, we descend in to a charged atmosphere. 

Joe Noel has taken the high stool and the audience is leaning in.  His voice is high pitched and his style is untraceable.

His jerky head and dancing knees carry an air of unassuming showmanship. Joe's exquisite guitar playing assumes the plucking, box tapping and string dampening techniques of the flamenco tradition.

This is not a man who is afraid of improvisation. After a fantastic cover of Norwegian Wood, he transforms the requested Eagle Eyed Cherry song 'Save tonight' in to a masterpiece, without knowing many of the words.

Tonight has been the highlight of my Tour so far.