Duke To The Rescue

Here we are at the Latitude Club in Austin, Texas. March 17 is the chance to roll with the spirit of St Patrick and welcome in the music industry folk to the Belfast Rocks showcase. There is no green beer but many of the audience members are emblazoned with emerald hues. Importantly though, the music will be free from all forms of shamrockery.

There was a bit of a problem earlier in the week when Rams' Pocket Radio weren't able to make the Austin connection. So bless Duke Special, already in America, who hightailed it to Texas on an indecently tight schedule, and opened the celebration. He was previewing tunes from his upcoming launch at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, themed around early photographers. Hence 'You Do The Picture And We Do The Work'. It's a narration from the master picture taker Steiglitz, who despised the culture of amateur snappers and the arrival of the Box Brownie.

For the older ears, Duke was revisiting 'Salvation Tambourine' and rousing the delegates from their buffet of questionable Irish dishes. Still love that man. The Lost Brothers were also loading up new songs, recording in Sheffield with Richard Hawley's people. The new record 'So Long John Fante' also promises those awesome harmonies and acute writing.

The admirable part of the Lost Brothers scheme is that they are taking American hill music - once loaned out by the Irish and Scotch - and returning it to sender.

And while you are getting your head around that issue, consider the third act Matrimony, fronted by Jimmy Brown. This east Belfast boy has lit out to Charlotte, North Carolina, and so the cross fertilisation gets and extra bit of propagation. In this case, it's left field anthems and thumping drums, a mandolin and arcadian dreams.

We finish with LaFaro, getting a bunch of new songs roughly ordered and despatched, like a squiffy old uncle, rubbing his greasy bristles on your cheek. Alan hits those drums with brutal exactitude. Jonny mumbles jokes to himself and the volume level is quite the challenge. Charlotte Church is watching at the back, seemingly pleased at her admission to LaFaro world. Nobody is sure how it happened but hey, you take your pals where you find them.