Back again, just popped out to see Mikelangelo at Assembly Checkpoint, wasn’t sure what to expect but worth a punt at a fiver. Ok, so I expected some Cohen, Waits and Cave, that was the show, what I got was one man on a stage with a guitar and an accordion, and one helluva voice. It wouldn’t be my usual thang at all, but what a great show. Swordfishtrombone was particularly brilliant (and not just because I knew it) and at the end he played us out on the accordion, literally played us down the stairs and out the door, now that was special!

I like the Checkpoint it’s a good room for music and it has it’s own bar in the room. A few tables mingled with the front seats round the stage add a touch of je ne sais quoi, actually that comes from the smoky touch added to the air – we might have gone smoke-free, but clear air actually isn’t that atmospheric.

Kudos to Assembly, today’s shows at their venues are the only two that have started bang on time so far for me.