Tom McRae and the Hotel Cafe Tour, Concorde 2, Brighton, April 29
12:46pm Wednesday 30th April 2008
Tom McRae may have topped the bill but the Hotel Cafe Tour is as much about the support as it is the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter.
The Ben Folds-esque Greg Laswell and the sex-obsessed Jim Bianco were the highlights - the latter introduced the crowd to hootin' and hollerin' before leaving the stage to conduct an impromptu sing-song.
As well as the Hotel Cafe guests, McRae welcomed Martin Rossiter from British indie-band Gene, who is becoming ever more like Morrissey with age. The disenchanted lover looked suitably uncomfortable singing Is It Over for his first time on stage in two years.
McRae could not have been more different.
His pitch-perfect delivery felt relaxed and was an exhibition for the young Americans he shared the bill with.