Well, ok, the headlining act was Silver Ray but I ended up deciding to leave before they came on (though it would've been good to see their "last gig in ages", I was tired...).

Andrew McCubbin and the Hope Addicts were on first, and having never seen or heard him before, I was blown away. No drums, just him and his electric guitar, a double bass, cello and keyboards (or occasional extra guitar). He's another Nick Drake lover, and he does a great array of quiet(ish), reflective stuff, along with a great cover of The Pixies' gouge away that slowly builds up pressure over the life of the song. I picked up his CD dead pilot which seems (upon a quick run-through) to be acoustic-guitar-based, unlike his performance here where the electric guitar gives it a bit more of an edge. He appears to be heading off to Europe, and I hope it all goes well for him.

Rowland S. Howard walked onto the stage empty-handed. One borrowed guitar later, we had a show. He ripped straight into dead radio from his last album teenage snuff film, and kept it up from there - a one man attack. It was bliss.

[ see all pictures of Rowland S. Howard and Andrew McCubbin. ]