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Following on from your feature on

Joe Payne in the May issue, we were privileged to be at his Acoustic Showcase gig on Sunday May 27.

It was very clear from the outset that this was going to be no ordinary show.

For a start, around half the audience were female! At most gigs we’re definitely in the minority so it was a most welcome change. Although there were plenty of seasoned Enid veterans who had been there and got the T-shirt to prove it, there was also a healthy core of much younger fans. Maybe this diversity contributed to the atmosphere and if this is the future, it’s looking pretty good.

Each of Joe’s guests played a set before he joined them on stage. When Oliver Day wandered onto the stage, picked up his guitar and began playing softly, the entire audience fell silent. We couldn’t quite believe what we were hearing. If you don’t know Oliver, I suggest you catch up with him while you can still afford a ticket!

Joe’s glorious five-octave-range voice dipped and soared around the old cinema as he played haunting, mysterious songs with Nikitas Kissonas (Methexis) and old favourites from his Enid days. The Picturedrome [in Northampton] is a great venue for live music, intimate but with perfect acoustics, due in no small part to the expertise of sound man Max Read, who had a hand in its design.

Four hours of stunning music finally came to a close with Joe singing I Need A Change, which brought the crowd to its feet. Joe and friends – who also included Pete and Dunk and John Holden – had between them delivered a truly unforgettable performance that was warmly appreciated by everyone there. It was always going to be emotional and my only regret is not wearing waterproof mascara!

Jane Tucker