The Folk'n'Ska Souls, The Measure, Full Circle, Iain Jackson, The Collective, William Chalk.

Lev 1. Esquires Bedford. 11th September 2010.

A charity evening is held on level 2 this evening. Headlined as 'The Great Gig', it's a money raising event for Luton Chemotherapy Unit and also for "a special woman affected by cancer". It's organised by local musician Francesco Bove. I can wholeheartedly applaud his sterling efforts, although unfortunately the local press sadly made no mention of this young man's hard working efforts. Tut, tut.

Acoustic youngster WILLIAM CHALK'S angsty lyrics and general frustration with life, oozes out of every song. "I will not give up this time" he shouts defiantly! His own compositions are rounded off by his version of eighties hit "Like a Prayer". For the evening as a whole, it's the perfect choice.

For thirty minutes here in Esquires, we are to be honorary members of THE COLLECTIVE. Fran may be our leader, and 'Boggy' second in command, but the crowd give off their best. Everyone sings in unison "There's a Reason". This is replicated on both "Signs" and "Dreams".

IAIN JACKSON has travelled all the way from Brighton. For lovers of the bohemian seaside resort, his song entitled "Sitting on the Roof" is utterly perfect. It's a eulogy of all things good. Iain's lyrics explain "I am a king of all that I can see, it's so peaceful, this city, this city I love".

Probably here at this venue, FULL CIRCLE are known more for their appearances in the bar on the popular Sunday afternoon sessions. Occasionally, they venture on to the big stage to showcase their own blues rock material. Tonight is a case in point, as the trio perform an excellent song called "Before You Go". For the regular fans, the band show some respect for The Beatles and Paul Weller in their short cover work.

Completing the line-up are, firstly and naturally, reforming for one night only, THE MEASURE. Their funky tunes show what a large gap they have left in the local music scene when they decided to go their separate ways.

To finish are THE FOLK 'N' SKA SOULS, who bounce and jump around the stage as per usual. A thought provoking evening with a serious message is brought home to us by a couple of short video films that emphasise why we need to raise money to eradicate this dreadful disease. The promoter and all musicians should take big credit for their efforts tonight.