The Coral, Delta Maid Ruby Lounge, Manchester

once got told off for talking at an Elbow gig, I was in shock for weeks afterwards. I wouldn't mind but I wasn't exactly near the front or being particularly loud, nor indeed was it by someone close by but over 20ft in front of me. Tonight however in Manchester's newly refurbished Ruby Lounge it seems part of the conditions of holding a ticket is to out shout everyone around you. And, as the volume increases so the chilled out acoustic vibe of tonight’s performers is threatening to be drowned out.

Tonight is a showcase of Merseyside musical talent with The Coral hailing from the Wirral and the support coming from Wavertree's Delta Maid.

Heavily influenced by American country blues, Delta Maid's stripped down sound suits this intimate acoustic setting perfectly. Playing alone and opening with a cheeky 'Hiya', Delta grabbed the attention of a the chatty crowd with a mini set of roots and blues. The American influences are clear to hear with the highlights of her set including 'Don't worry baby' and a cover of Bruce Hornsby's 'The way it is'.

She has been asked to perform at Gary Barlow's 40th birthday party at the Shepherds Bush Empire later this month, followed by a number of dates in Camden. Check out her music on her MY SPACE page


There is no question that tonight’s headliners The Coral are fantastic musicians and are probably one of the most underrated bands in the UK at the moment. Looking like a scally version of Westlife the boys perched themselves upon three stools front of stage and rewarded those lucky enough to get a ticket with a set of crystal clear acoustic bliss.

At times we were transported to the hazy Californian sunshine of the late sixties with beautifully crafted songs from the band's latest album 'Butterfly House'. The album has been re-released in an acoustic format and it is that which forms the basis of these special intimate gigs before heading off on a European tour in the Spring.

As stunning as the Butterfly House material such as 'Roving Jewel', 'More than a lover' and 'Walking in the winter' is, the only song that picked the crowd up was '1,000 years' and the punters seemed to be after one thing... 'Play the old tunes!' was the cry, it was Saturday night after all. So with 'Pass it on', 'Jacqueline' and 'In the Morning' changing the talking to singing, the crowd were treated to a couple of covers, The Beatles 'Ticket to Ride' and Ben E King's 'Stand by Me' before the inevitable 'Dreaming of You' to finish.

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