Cowboy Junkies in Brighton!

Yes, it was a rare treat. The Cowboy Junkies performing their Acoustic Tour at the Komedia. It was a sell-out, with a very mixed audience of all shapes, sizes and age. Not surprising for the eclectic mix that is Brighton. Considering I bought almost the first two tickets for the show - I was surprised and pleased to see it was a sell out as they're not that well known in this country but word had got round.

Hailing from Canada the group is made up of brother and sister team Mike and Margo Timmins. Accompanied on this tour by Jeff Bird with his strange looking mix of stringed instruments and the haunting harmonica sound that features in many of their tracks. Margo has the most amazing voice - which is just stunning and suits their acoustic style just perfectly. Their music is a mix of blues, folk and country. Mostly soulful tracks - some as Margo observed - downright depressing.

I was first introduced to their music several years ago with their stunning album The Trinity Sessions and have added most of their albums to my collection since - rarely disappointed. I saw them first on tour in Manchester a few years ago, supported by Over The Rhine whose album I bought on the spot.

Last night they played several tracks from their new album (due out in April) as well as old favourites and one of what I consider to be their best tracks, Misguided Angel , which they left until the encore. It was a relaxed, informal set with just the three of them on stage - Mike on the guitar, Margo standing or sitting to sing the songs and sometimes referring to her black book of lyrics as she occasionally slipped up (by her own account she sometimes forgets them) and Jeff with his . A vase of yellow tulips on the stage - you don't see that often, which she handed to a lady in the audience at the end of their main set and she even came back on stage with some tissues to wrap them in for the encore. Afterwards they were only to happy to come out to chat and sign things.

If you get a chance to see them live then do so - they don't come round very often. Get down to your record shop and checkout some of their albums.