Fionn Regan

Fionn Reagan turns up on stage late but looking assured and confident. The set goes quickly; lots of bass in the guitar and the melancholic intricacy of the songs benefits from it. All of his recent 'Reservoir _EP_' is played, the strummiest parts blasted out under his undeniably catchy falsetto. Halfway through the set, he has a dig at the audience for talking, and goes on to play a noticeably belligerent but resplendent 'Abacus'. Seems every support slot needs a spot of arrogance to make up for a shorter set... and why not? Reagan ends with what is becoming a signature track, the beautiful '_After the Fall_'. The audience finally take note. All these songs are dark, abstract but always compelling; live, they seem even more urgent. Here's to an album and possibly a headline spot.

Reagan is followed up by My Morning Jacket?s Jim James, opening with a superbly minimalist and inspired rendering of the Elvis fave ?That?s All Right Mama?. If only the rest of his set could equal it. Is this Woody Guthrie?s disabled younger brother?? Twenty minutes in the strain seems to be showing as each song is numbingly strummed through. Sincere though he is, James also has an incredible amount of echo on the mike, which makes him sound like a toucan squawking at the bottom of a waterfall. Regardless of My Morning Jacket?s pluses or minuses, this echo-ridden pseudo-emotionalism seems to be James?s only card. Having said all that I?m sure that this set wasn?t to be taken too seriously ..since its intention is to neatly introduce a singer who's band is playing The Garage proper next week.