Amazing evening!

Youknow when I was 17, I used to play air guitar to Southbound Train, and My Little Woman. i worshipped this guy. He seemed like a young God. When I got to see him at Cousins - he seemed quite chunky compared to last night. Last night, he looked a bit jovial version of the Headmaster in Bash Street Kids - almost skeletal. We had both grown into okd guys.

Deadpan delivery of jokes - or maybe he was bored with his own stories. Gentle humour - rather than uproariously funny. Still he was appreciated.

The music was interesting. Not really the slick gunslinger of guitar any more - Spider John somewhere along the way has become a great traditional style interpreter of folksong. if you love tradtional music - you will love Spider John.

he plays a 12 string tyhese days - a battered old epiphone with its full complement of strings. He hits the strings in such a skillful fashion that the modest sized belly of the guitar sounds as big as a rain barrel - the tone is mighty. He plays few chords these days, his tyle (although) in standard tuning is reminiscent of Martin carthy's. he plays a lto melody lines - wth that powerful magisterial sound. he plays a little ragtime picking also.

The songs are from the great American folksong book. Careless love is delivered as folksong - not a blues. We get the Cuckoo, a little Woody Guthrie, something from Blues rags and Holler - Good Time Charlie - but no Creepy John ( song surely composed in the wake of the Boston Strangler slayings). For the rest its quite brilliant traditional fare. He is accompanied on fiddle and bones by Chip Smith.

The support was by dave Peabdy and Stuart Piper. Stuart could make his guiar sound (which was apity as he is obviously a great slide player). Dave is of course a legend in his own right. what a man!