Hugh Cornwell -- New Variety Club

A full house was treated to a mixture of great songs, old and new, by the former Stranglers front-man Hugh Cornwell.

The standout track from Hugh's post-Stranglers songs was Picked Up by the Wind from the album Beyond Elysian Fields.

Stranglers classics such as Nuclear Device, No More Heroes and Peaches did not outshine the more current material played by the three-piece line-up.

Purists however, would have sorely missed the keyboard flourishes which are so characteristic of The Stranglers' work.

Hugh did not disappoint the loyal fans who packed out the New Variety Club and the sultry baritone was as strong as ever throughout the two-hour set. Cornwell's songwriting influenced a whole generation of bands and to witness him in such an intimate setting was a real treat.

Phil Hopwood

Blues Breakdown/Spikedrivers -- St Anne's Social Club

As Mike Ford announced onstage: "It's been a long time coming", but at last Keighley has its own blues club, and what a start.

Blues Breakdown, the regular house band, were amiably led by organiser Mike Ford on guitar and lead vocals.

He was backed up well by Tom Madden on drums, Nick Norsurak on bass, Allan Greenwood on slide guitar and Wayne Marshall on lead guitar.

They stormed into a great opening Chicago blues medley followed by tracks from BB King, Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters and a rocking track from Ken Moore.

The boys have definitely put some work into the band since I last saw them.

Next on were the stars of the opening night, Spikedrivers, giving us two sets of superb Delta blues.

Most of the material was penned by guitar-vocalist Ben Tyzack augmented on drums and percussion by Maurice McElroy and bass-vocalist Constance Redgrave.

They took us on a journey through hot southern blues with Tyzack's husky vocals brilliantly accompanying his guitarmanship.

If this is what we are in for every month, get your tickets now.

Gary Chapman