Seth Lakeman @ The Liquid Room

It's refreshing to encounter a popular singer who has such obvious instrumental talent at his disposal. With a repertoire that takes in banjo, ukulele and violin, Seth Lakeman certainly fits this bill and for those wholly satisfied with hit album Fields of Freedom, this gig should really have proven a joy to attend. It's a record packed with catchy melodies and competent songwriting but which ultimately suffers from a lack of edge. Lakeman and his band's live show is script perfect tonight: error-less and delivered with aplomb and a degree of gusto – much like the album itself. Those who thought the LP was slightly over produced may have looked forward to hearing a rawer performance out of the shackles of the studio. This gig soon appears in essence a hybrid of both notions. Snippets of ad libbing punctuate what is a rather stringent rendition of his back catalogue. An excellent stripped-down solo rendition of Lady of the Sea shows how much can be achieved when the theme is varied, a sentiment that is heightened by some superb fiddle riffage. Most frustrating is the perceived mothballing of certain elements of his portfolio (see banjo). True to form - a good show, but no hoedown. [Finbarr Bermingham]