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I walked into the Soul Cellar fashionably late, not really expecting anything in the terms of gig performance. I knew of Inspiral Carpets and that they were pretty much a cult band, for anyone my age or older. They were a proto indie band before the likes of Stone Roses or Charlatans and came off the end of the early 90s with strong anthems that appealed to rave and indie guitar fans alike. They were a unique act and I wasn’t quite sure how Tom Hingley would bring their music across acoustically. So I waited with baited breath.

I missed the opening act Steve Lowis but having seen him infinite times he has never done a bad gig yet. His refreshing brand of sweet acoustic folk rock music can tame any crowd and appeals to all walks of life coming across no matter what venue he plays. If anyone needs to warm up an acoustic audience, Steve is always the man for the job. He has a smooth poignant brand of folk rock that is appreciated by walks of life and it won’t be too long before he headlines his own gigs at major venues.

I missed the first few songs from The Retake's set but needless to say tonight was like seeing a completely different band. The Retake have generally had mixed reviews but are always filling venues. For a band that hadn’t really been gigging that long they headlined Joiners faster than most. Tonight they did a stripped down acoustic set with full band and have to say musically they dressed to impress. Some of the rock standards they perform actually surpass the original rock format.   The song ‘Be Mine Tonight’ come across particularly well tonight and there was definitely an atmosphere set in place. The empty dance floor was quickly filled by a group by merry dancers clearly feeling the influence of the band.

They gave a smooth , comfortable acoustic performance with upbeat rocking edges with front man Lee’s Raw, rock n roll vocals (or Rawk n Roll’) fitting in naturally with the smooth velvet sometimes gospel voice of tenor ‘Adam. They fitted in well with their new toned down acoustic surroundings. The always energetic and Luke playing ‘Cajon’ drums ( basically hitting an empty box in time) keeping a solid beat going with Sam playing keys still present but somehow blended seamlessly into the background giving the whole band a quieter performance without losing the passion. Bassist ‘Onion’ even managed to chirp in Gospel style without shattering the peaceful decor whilst plodding away at wicked Basslines sometimes it seemed holding up the entire band.

As Tom Hingley arrived on stage sporting a grey beard and looking slightly more rounded than his Inspiral days, as he  strummed the chords of Saturn 5, I was transported back the other side of the last decade. I had forgotten the hefty indie /dance floor influence the Carpets had and hearing Tom play acoustic versions seemed to bring it all back. Taking time out after the first song to engage the audience Tom announced “Happy Birthday to Southampton DJ legend Matt Clark”, a feat he repeated at least four times throughout the set. His set erupted from there and maintained momentum throughout blending electric mixes of Blues/Slide alongside Carpet’s classics.

For me the high point was when he played ‘This Is How It Feels’ and the whole venue seemed to freeze in awe. In fact, through most of the set the audience were quietly enthralled in a mix of both fine musical performance and exact stage presence. Tom continued with a Blues slide cover ; Elmore James’ “The Sky is crying” and by the end of the song had evolved into a PJ Harvey sounding musical free for all. The man did not disappoint fans of music tonight with a diverse and varied set that would keep any muso anorak guessing.

Tom kept the mesmerised audience in place as he continued playing until he himself was satisfied. Ending with a mixture of Blues slide and even a banjo song this was definitely one of those gigs that you were glad you were at. He came out afterwards and took time to chat to everybody who wanted to chat, and proved to us all what a very nice man he is.  The Soul Cellar could have been busier on a Friday Night but I have a feeling if Mr Hindley returns simply word of mouth from tonight would change all that.

Tom Hingley acoustic @ Soul Cellar, Friday 16th July 2010