Gig report from Tunbridge Wells

It was a spectacular performance from Steve last night at Tumbridge Wells Assembly Hall. Steve held the audience captive from the first moment the light picked him out at 8.15, and the show brought us 2 hours and 25 minutes of music. The beauty of the lyrics shone through the acoustic treatment, Barry and james offering brilliant, sometimes delicate and sparse accompaniment, but Steve's voice soaring with emotion throughout the night. A cold, ejmotional Make Me Smile, as originally pereformed to his studio band in 74, brought a tear to this jaundiced eye and my wife was blubbing through Journey's End and The Lt Time I Saw You - "the leaping of my ransomed heart " gets her every time! I wouldn't have missed this for the world - the big band rocks for sure and we've had some memorable nights at Shepherds Bush, Indigo 2 and many others, but A Closer Look gave us just that, and those songs, maybe 25 of them in all, (I lost count) stood the test of time AND the test of quality. That's the word for the show, quality, through and through. Lighting perfect and in totally the right mood, sound, as always with SH, faultless. We've got tickets for Union Chapel, and Holmfirth New Years Eve, and I know those same qualities will be in evidence. I say again,last night was simply spectacular! A privilege to be there. Thanks Steve.