What a Saturday night!

Ian Haughey reports on the Chilli night in Audlem Scout Hall: "Certainly it was a great night, more acoustic themed with the acts this time, and well received from all the accounts I've heard. The quality of the talent should not be overlooked – if Jools Holland had been there, you would have thought it was a Later with Jools Holland session, they are that good.

"We had Colin Cliffe for the evening and, with his sharp wit and observations, he gave us a great reason for not becoming part of Wales! You needed to be there to understand how intimate the geography of Wales could become if Audlem was included. You really can tell a great night when you're stopped in the street and even receive e-mails next morning saying how much it was enjoyed.

"The Chilli night kicked off with a personnel change to the usual Strangers line-up, but no less a performance. This trio of year 7's finished off with White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' that was well received.

"Same Old Noise, Kirsty Emerton and Jack Marshall, included a fantastic cover of 'Cabaret' in their set of self-penned material which included 'Nothing to say, missing you', the scarily performed 'Frightening' and 'Same old noise', a track made famous by the Daystar Theatre play 'An unpleasant business'.

"Crash Course performed their set acoustically for the first time, less a drummer; the set included their own material. Great harmonies and if you've heard or seen this band, this session was like a set from Jo Whiley's Radio 1 'Live lounge' – well they are appearing on BBC Radio Stoke on 29th May. Like the first two acts, you'll be able to catch them at the Audlem Music and Arts Festival at the end of May.... you really don't want to miss it.

"Fresh from their outing at the Lord Combermere a week last Thursday, Meloustic Monkeys did not disappoint. Charlotte's distinctive vocal style and Dougie's guitar playing really hang together, from the self-penned 'The cheesy one' ("because it is" – Charlotte), superbly performed, though it's the variety of their covers where you can really appreciate the Meloustics sound – The Small Faces 'Itchycoo Park' for one, and n-trance 'Set you free' dance track.

"The solo performance of the evening, and becoming a regular performer in Audlem, Nick Lundie is really creating a strong following. Nick's influences are varied and in this set included the self-penned '7 nights'; James Taylor's 'You've got a friend'; Razorlight's 'Can't stop this feeling I got' and Nick's own version of the Beatles' 'Eleanor Rigby'.

"Following the evening's superb acoustic sets, the appreciative audience then got to their feet for the Hollow Floor set. The band stretches the 'young' element of the evening – well the two old guys up front do, being slightly over 25 – but it's none the less energetic!

"Again, from all involved it's great to put on – the evening works primarily on paying for itself by the contributions of the audience on the night. A huge "thank you" to all who attended, and especially because of the way that people mucked in together – it's certainly not hard-work to put these events on. The Hall itself, Audlem Scout & Guide Hall, is a gem of a place, especially for live music. Yet again, it was good to see the audience of all ages leaving the hall thoroughly entertained with broad smiles. It was good!"

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