Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There are just some things you cannot pass up the opportunity of witnessing in life.  The chance, if you should support England’s cricket team, to see the Australians flounder in two…hopefully three home test Ashes series on the trot in England is surely one of those, perhaps even seeing Lancashire’s Jimmy Anderson overtake Sir Ian Botham’s huge and long standing wicket haul is another. However, when it comes to music, being able to see The Duckworth Lewis Method kick start a tour of their latest cricket themed album, Sticky Wickets, in the sweet confines of Rough Trade Records in Whitechapel as part of a launch for the third edition of The Night Watchman, is just as sweet and just as palpable…records, new music, cricket, Neil Hannon and Thomas Walsh, there surely isn’t much else for the cricketing music fan to excited about.

The evening was introduced by Tom Holland and with an entertaining chat around the subject of cricket with contributors to the new edition and some excellent entertainment by Neil Hannon, Thomas Walsh and Tosh Flood. With the threesome starting the cherished and cosy evening with It’s Just Not Cricket and the fantastic The Age Of Revolution, the three men didn’t just entertain, they relaxed a crowd to the point of informal delight. With tracks such as Gentlemen and Players, The Night Watchman, the utterly compelling and bouncy Jiggery Pokery and Meeting Mr. Miandad being performed with a gentle droll spirit, an inexhaustible smile upon each face, it was an evening to treasure.

Central London might get the stars, the glamorous nights out in which the best suits and frocks get an airing but there is something very satisfying about attending an intimate gig in what seems a very natural home for music in London.  A great night out enjoyed by all who attended and took in the best of both worlds.

Ian D. Hall