I'm just back from seeing Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker & John Doyle at the Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham-by-Sea in Sussex - one of the venues in their current tour.

What a tremendous evening! Three musicians at the absolute top of their form playing a wide variety of traditional and composed tunes. The energy of the playing was infectious, the skill consummate, and the whole delivery of the evening just first class. The Ropetackle is a warm and welcoming modern, smallish concert hall with a great sound, and was the perfect venue for these musicians. Needless to say, it was a sellout.

They're part of the set of musicians who form the house band for the Transatlantic Sessions, and have been working on a new series recently. I have to say that, much as I like some of the TS, the trio demonstrated this evening - particularly in the dynamics, which ranged from powerful to whisper-soft, and in the choice of material - why a constant large house band can create blandness.

I'm sure other 'Catters have seen the trio at other venues on this tour, and I'd be interested in opinions. For me, it was a sublime evening.