In the email newsletter I send out every Monday (you can subscribe to it on www.uncut.co.uk), I wrote about the number of great gigs looming over the next few weeks, starting tonight, in fact, with The Hold Steady at the Islington Academy. I’m going to that, but wasn’t sure how many of the others shows I’d be able to make it to. I therefore invited any readers of the newsletter who had either recently seen or were going to see any of the bands I mentioned to write in with their thoughts on the gig.

The first email I got was from Chris Cownan, who had this to say:

Fer gawd’s sake, don’t miss Richmond Fontaine. They were back again in Winchester last night, playing to a sell-out crowd and on absolutely top notch form. They’re a truly great, engaging, likeable and fun (YES FUN I SAID FUN) band to see live.

I remain convinced that RF are simply one of the two or three best rock bands currently operating creatively, based both on performance and the new music they are making today. Most bands dip between the gems, Richmond Fontaine have yet to make anything less than a very good record since Lost Sons, an astonishingly high-grade run of LPs.

I only hope they enjoy it and make enough money so they keep going, and maybe with this record step up a notch: bigger crowds, bigger sales. Even though it’s a treat to see such a great band in intimate venues, they deserve more (if that’s what they want).

Chris Cowan