Performance: The Posies

Kings Arms

Review: Graham Reid

Despite what they may say in press interviews, musicians generally don't do a different set every night.

They just say that to make you feel the night you see them is extra special.

But anyone who saw the Posies - now down to the songwriting core of Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer - at the Kings Arms this week would put serious money on them never repeating that particular night.

With acoustic guitars, a steady line of tequila and a great deal of humour, this terrifyingly talented duo worked their way around some of their own Posies material, reconfigured an REM song into something about the rock band Alien Sex Fiend, were untroubled when a dog started barking during one tune, and generally had a very good time indeed.

It was a measure of how at ease they felt that they weren't attached to playing their own back-catalogue, although such seminal Posies songs as Solar Sister and Everybody is a ****ing Liar both gained excellent airings.

They roamed freely through some improvised songs and as members of the occasionally revived Big Star they also played a beautiful tribute to the late Chris Bell of that band by playing his I Am the Cosmos.

Of the two, Stringfellow had the harder edge to his voice.

It was left to Auer to deliver up a gorgeous, heartfelt version of Big Star's Thirteen.

After two hours, with only a short and apologetic bathroom break, the Posies left the small audience with a wealth of musical memories.

They also left the audience with the certainty that if they said they don't play the same set twice you could take their word for it.

They were nice guys, it was great music throughout and it was indeed a night to remember for the audience.

It was a night to remember for them too, I would imagine.