Robbie Cross smashed the champagne bottle over the bows of his solo album El Diablo and launched it to the world with a fine performance of its contents on Friday at Cabin 5150.

During the two-setter Robbie played a selection of acoustic instruments, namely guitar, resonator and mandolin, with a great deal of skill and delivered the songs with his distinctive vocal style matured on a diet of Havanas, sandpaper and Jack Daniels or at least it sounds like it.

It is, in fact, a very appealing vocal style and sound, highly suited to his material.

The first set was I believe, predominantly if not entirely, from the album. The songs are cleverly written and constructed and intelligent, if a little dark at times.

During the second set he did justice to some of his favourite covers, with a cameo performance on electric lead guitar from the Cabin’s Dom Blair. The performance, as described, was excellent – Robbie sounded and looked the business. 

I still have a smile on my face from Saturday night, which I suspect might continue to return for some days when I recall the performance of The Former Members also at the Cabin. I am at this moment refreshing the memory of it while listening to their eponymous album, which comprises much of the set they delivered to an ecstatic audience.

The rest of the material was culled from the catalogue of classics from the various bands these superstar players have graced with their personal contributions during almost 200 years of collective experience.

Having been in world class bands since the mid 60s and playing at some of the biggest rock events the world has ever seen, it somehow felt an absolute privilege to be in their presence listening to them play songs from the soundtrack of my life such as Country Joe Macdonald’s Fixing to Die Rag and Superbird, both wonderfully political and subversive.

Other songs came from drummer Roy Blumenfeld’s association from the great Al Kooper’s Blues Project with Roy delivering not only some stunning drumming but some high class vocals on songs such as Remedy and I Can’t Keep from Crying.

Bruce Barthol, formerly Country Joe’s bassist, has lost none of his subversive edge with personal compositions such as Cakewalk to Baghdad (a song in the class of Fixing) and Steeltown Blues. Now well in to his sixth decade he is still a political radical and demonstrates the fact with his acid sharp lyricist.                 

Fellow Country Joe alumni, David Bennett Cohen proved throughout what a phenomenal pianist he is and with the first encore, Treasure of the Heart, demonstrated his enviable skills as a composer.

The fourth Former Member was guitarist Greg Douglass, of the Steve Miller Band.

A superb player in many styles, his instrumental rearrangement of Miller’s Fly Like an Eagle was a jaw-dropping finale piece to a stunning performance from these totally affable gentlemen, who from, their demeanour and attitude, gave absolutely nothing away of the dizzy heights their careers have reached in the past.

They were just four incredibly nice guys thoroughly enjoying each other’s musical company.

In a very timely press release this week it was announced that Mr Ian Siegal had received nominations in an unprecedented five separate categories in the British Blues Awards.

As one of the finest contemporary blues artists the UK has ever produced he usually does well in the BBA but five is really going some, even for Siegal.

If he wins best solo performer this year it will be the third or fourth year running.  Ian plays at the Cabin this Friday. For a tenner you can discover what it takes to receive such accolades – if you can get a ticket.