A really great night was had by all last night watching the Master of country blues guitar picking at a packed venue in the wilds of upper Teesdale.

Albert Lee proved to anyone who didn’t know, that not only is he probably at the the very top of his guitar craft, but also what a soulfull singer he is. His band were certainly a seasoned set of players too who could all play a bit and who added a rich variety to harmony and lead vocals.

I went up with a group of friends (Nick, Anna, Brian, Micheline, Dave, Chris and Shaun) who also happen to be keen students of the guitar. All were very impressed with the venue, and blown away by Albert and his band. At 68 he sets an example to anyone slowing down in life with around 90 gigs all over the UK and Europe planned between March and the end of 2012.

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The venue is in a typical stone built Village Hall in Mickleton, a small village in Upper Teesdale. Amazingly, inside it was decked out like a small club with great stage, lighting and sound system, and a packed appreciative audience out for a good night. They have an interesting calendar of gigs with some top names destined to appear in the near future including Georgie Fame – http://www.mickletonrnb.co.uk/Events.htm – definitely worth a visit – next time I think I’ll have to organise a Mini Bus!!!