Dust'n'Debris

DUST & DEBRIS

Donkey Venue: 10th March 2024

Another great afternoon at The Donkey Venue in the company of the excellent Dust & Debris. I last saw the band only a few weeks ago, as always they sounded fresh and invigorating and appeared to be having an absolute ball on stage which is always a pleasure for the audience.

They play a delightful mix of country and americana, as well as some of Les's original songs, kicking off with what Les described as a couple of looseners... actually 2 of my favourite numbers... "Rocky Mountain Bell" (remembered the title now!!) and "Wagon Wheel"... these two cracking upbeat numbers delivered with energy and great joy set the tone for the rest of the set which included some new numbers and some that have been missing from the set for a while but the band play with such a warm friendly feel that they all seem to sound familiar even though the they are all very different, spanning such a wide range of country/cajun/americana styles. No self respecting country band will go without delivering a bit of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, and today we heard "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Jambalaya... great stuff!! As well as the country numbers, they aren't afraid to throw in other material such as Ricky Nelsons "Hello Mary Lou", Del Shannon's "Runaway" and the Beatles "One After 909"... encoring with a traditional english folksong... "Honky Tonk Women", all of which work beautifully in a more americana setting.

The second half started with a song by the trio of Jade, George and Les, a more delicate song which gave Jade a chance to showcase her lovely voice. It may be an odd thought, but on stage the band have a wonderful "live" feel to their music... they are a group of musicians playing music they clearly love together and enjoying every moment and building a great rapport, ensuring the audience are enjoying it as well... Another hugely enjoyable set from a really fine band... If i have one little nit-picking criticism, at a couple of times the arrangements, i felt, strayed from the americana that is the heart of the band into rock... which for me doesn't sit as well in the set... despite that... this was another hugely enjoyable performance by a band that I like immensely

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