Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

A year has barely passed by since Erica Nockalls and Miles Hunt were in Liverpool’s Rodewald Suite and giving a top class evening out to an abundance of fans. Then as now, both artists came prepared to give the audience a night out to remember but also to have a lot of fun, once more all the criteria was met as far as the excited crowd were concerned and the smile on the musicians’ faces more than told its own story.

Miles and Erica of the Wonderstuff are no strangers to Liverpool and it is easily understandable why any crowd in any venue takes to the genial and likeable man from the Midlands and the incredibly talented fiddle player. The music from start to finish is infectious, even when the evening is not to be taken as highbrow, it still more than thrills the heart to see two consummate professionals give the intimate audience a night of laughter, love and passionate music.

Aside from songs from a long career with the Wonderstuff and Miles’ and Erica’s time together as an acoustic pairing including DWI, Plans in the Sky, Room 512, All the News That’s Fit to Print, Golden Green and the fabulous Fill Her Up & Foot Down, the pair played a few new songs that will appear in the coming months which included a fantastic and well performed Friendly Company and the beautiful Right Side of the Turf.

There is always time for a story or three and it has to be said that in the way Miles Hunt retells a tale they don’t come much better repeated. He regaled the audience, much to their amusement and entertainment moments from the year so far including how a famous holiday firm has been using a song of the bands in their adverts and how the much missed Kirsty MacColl ended up parting in the recording of the excellent Wonderstuff track Welcome to the Cheap Seats.

Miles Hunt finished the evening with the tracks Can’t Shape Up, a cracking rendition of Piece of Sky, the much called for It’s Your Money I’m After, Baby and as an extra surprise Unbearable.

A great night of music performed by two of the rare musicians that may not come from Liverpool but certainly get treated as if they have lived in the city all their lives. Always welcome and always give the audience exactly just what they need.

Ian D. Hall