Great Music last night at the Spring Mayhem Festival event

Last night's Spring Mayhem brought almost four hours of fantastic music to Audlem and superb entertainment. Headlining the three band line up was SLACK ALICE, a band who deserve the description of legendary! Formed in 1973, and still with original frontman Cliff Stocker on vocals, guitar and harmonica, and bassist Malc Crossley, they drive along with a phenomenal twin guitar sound provided by Chris Preston and Colin Redmond. There was nothing Slack about Alice as they kicked off with a ZZ Top number and proceeded through a seamless mix of New Orleans blues, driving Rock & Roll and the 'white man's blues', Country, showing all the musical versatility of the Stones' 'Sticky Fingers'. Tim Disney, staying behind from the first slot of the night, added his amazing harmonica playing as he guested for some numbers including a rousing 'Hootchie Cootchie Man' finale. As Gary Hood, organiser of The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival said: "Slack Alice are a band of great musical talent, both powerful and musically excellent with exceptional guitars and vocals. I've seen thousands of bands over the past 20 years – Slack Alice are up there with the best of them."

One of Audlem's all time favourites, MAD DOG, had earlier rampaged through their set. These are entertainers. You know what to expect and you get it in spades. There's finesse too. A rendition of 'No other baby' was a highlight as it accelerated to a rousing Mad Dog climax. Bryn was on form and his Tobacco Road vocals, (in a non-smoking venue too – that's real Rock & Roll) made the original Nashville Teens sound like, well, Teens.

The evening started off with a footstomping mix of blues delta and country with the country's finest harmonica player, DONNY JOHNSON AND TIM DISNEY. This talented duo played Blues Alley and the Bridge during last year's Festival and gained many plaudits. Come back soon.

The one disappointment was the turnout. There were around a hundred in the Hall, and many had travelled long distances, from as far as Lincolnshire and the Midlands. It's a good job they had as locals were thin on the ground. Perhaps the Production and the live music at the Shroppie contributed but if you had just stayed at home to watch Match of the Day, you missed a fantastic night. And the football was pretty dire anyway.

Well done Paul Moran and the Festival. We are very, very lucky to have music of this quality in Audlem.

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