The applause builds up slowly and surely in heated anticipation before exploding with a feel of over- riding love as Stephen Langstaff makes his way on stage to give the huge crowd at The East Village Arts Club, something they have craved all evening, the sound and voice of one of Liverpool’s finest in full flow.

For those that haven’t caught Stephen for a while, gone is the young lad who made girls swoon with delight just by opening his mouth and belting out his top notch music. In his place is a man, still incredibly talented, still able to make women holler out his voice in the off chance he will look their way and smile tantalisingly at them but a man who has paid his dues to his craft and now unleashes music upon the audience with a power he had but kept almost shyly hidden from view. Leaner, humbler and darker than before, however that smile is still there, the cherub like performance never fading but now wrapped up in a cloak fit for the greats.

This transformation has been gradual but fascinating to watch develop. From his days supporting The Bangles at the 02 Academy, Stephen has grown year by year, biding his time and taking the excellent advice given to him by those who nurtured his talent. His set was riveting, pulsating with life that blew the cobwebs off the dusty streets and gave what had already been a great evening that final piece of majesty, pure and simple rock and roll theatre.

Alongside Stephen on the cello was Vicky Mutch from the Mono L.P.s who even though having seemed to give her all earlier in the evening, proceeded to beguile the audience and hypnotise with her flashing bow with Stephen on songs such as his classic Saw the Angels, America, New York Dolls, the superb cover of Roy Orbison’s Only the Lonely which has been much admired especially by Roy’s widow and the beautiful Alive.

There surely has never been a moment’s doubt in anyone’s mind who has caught this exceptional young man live or listened as he has performed over the airwaves, that he is just simply a fine creative musician and yet again in front of an audience who fed off the energy supplied by Stephen and his band that musical essence, the sheer presence was there for all to witness.

This was an excellent gig by a young man who has grafted away to become one of the city’s top performers and an excellent role model for young budding musicians.

Ian D. Hall