It’s been a while (in my terms) since I’ve seen Jon and John as the duo, and that just makes seeing them rock the Purcell Room even more sweet. It’s an odd sort of venue - very civilized, and full of terribly civilised people - it seemed entirely possible, certainly for the entire first half, that the crowd would be quite staid. And quite staid they were, at least at the start. Happily I spent the second half (for which the Jo(h)ns emerged with definite vigour) much nearer the front, from where the sound and atmosphere were much improved.

All in all, a damn good atmosphere for such a place - and the crowd felt it too, demanding not one, but two encores - and joining in heartily with Innocent When You Dream and Prickle-Eye Bush at the end.

The set consisted of a mix of old and new, but as ever, the highlight for me was Princess Royal/Cuckoos Nest - the joy and energy they pour into these tunes is, IMHO, unsupassed at the present time.

Each and every time I come home from an S&B gig I have a huge grin on my face and a spring in my step - long may they continue performing in this vein. Huzzah!