All You Need Is Glove

One of the occupational hazards of playing your music at civic functions is that people in suits will often get your name wrong. During one such speech, Anthony Toner had his surname amended to "Topper". Around the same time, Ben Glover had the "r" shaved off the end of his own title. Therefore Topper and Glove became a personal injoke - two musician pals, a comedic double act for their later years, fit for cruise ships and end of the pier revues. They even started to sketch out a logo, the white evening gloves perched on a gleaming top hat. Classy.

Anthony and Ben are adjacent on the Sunday bill for the Hilden Festival, out Lisburn way. And while the music is played with proper intent, the between songs banter finds both artists poking fun at each other. Nobody minds, it raises the temperature around the teepee stage and like a pocket version of Blur versus Oasis, it may even sell a few extra records.

However, near the end of Ben's set, the Topper and Glove hostilities are put on hold. Anthony steps up beside him and they play a ripper version of 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright'. Then to compound the joy, they finish with 'The Weight'. It's a test for any player and singer, but these two guys deliver with the musical sass, the big voices and a tremendous empathy that fits with The Band and their comradely best. Mighty.