Wild west heroes

A NIGHT out west at the Imperial – it was always going to be different from the get go.

However, I was in for an eye-opener.

To set the scene, 20 minutes before I had arrived, I had stuffed myself with a Chinese takeaway with two of my friends, and somehow got sucked into the box watching Britain's Got Talent (don't ask).

I looked at the time – 9.40pm – Christ. I got off my bum pretty sharpish, as did my friends, and we made our way out west – way, way out west.

For a moment I thought I had missed the gig because it was so quiet, yet walking into the public bar at the Imp, it felt like I had walked into a hoedown in the Wild West.

Needless to say I hadn't missed it and all of a sudden I was thrown into a cattle-packed bar, where you couldn't swing your cowboy rope for love nor money.

The John Wesley Stone were playing. Having recently released their LP, Doggone, the week before, they were performing a gig in celebration to some very merry punters. The whole thing was surreal yet utterly amazing.

The band kicked off their second set (I had missed the first) and the whole place erupted. They spat out tracks from the album as well as a couple of new ones. The set took us on some extreme highs and a few calmer moments.

Songs such as the face-paced high-energy Strate to Hell, The Walls of Jericho and That's Alright By Me, had the whole place jumping and singing.

The tracks Falling For You, No Home Alabama and Caffeine, Benzedrine, Nicotine, represent their abilities on the instruments, as well as skilful and cunning songwriting.

Their one cover, Johnny Cash's Cocaine Blues, could have been their own if you didn't know any different.

Tinshack, Hillbill, Nashville and Lynchy all took turns on vocals and each showcased their talents on a number of instruments.

A particular highlight was Tinshack's harmonica soloing, which had the whole place's eyes on him.

The appearance of the kazoo and the now infamous tea-chest bass are now regular instruments in the band's repertoire.

The set contained so many elements which make this band truly unique.

Never before on this island have I seen a band perform with such ferociousness, passion and pure skill at the same time.

The gig was a true representation of the Wesleys as a band. It was fiery, pure, raw, pulsating and filled with blistering bluegrass, punk and skiffle.

Once the four encores were over, and after Hillbill had climbed atop a table and swung a tambourine around his neck, banging it against his head and taking his shirt off later, the gig was finished – audience and band exhausted from a night full of electrifying energy.

It really was the Wesleys' best gig to date, and leaving the Imp, with no Town louts in sight and stars in the night sky, I really couldn't have picked a better setting for it.

One of my favourite gigs of the year so far and it's going to be a tough one to beat.

• See the Wesleys in action in our new section devoted to local music, The Bunker.