When it comes to grassroot venues, you can’t get much smaller or unique than Aces ‘n’ Eights opposite Tufnell Park tube station in North London. The former corner bank has a rock n roll bar on the ground floor with beers a plenty and pizzas to die for, whilst the old vaults have been converted into a distressed cabaret room with its unique décor including a standard lamp on stage. With a seated capacity of about fifty, you can’t get much more intimate and it’s the ideal venue for a night of guitar based Americana.

Headliner Jason Eady played here back in 2018 and loved it so much he wanted to play it again despite the limited capacity. So the Texas based country and blues guitarist is back here for a UK and European tour, and a sold out Aces ‘n’ Eights awaits in anticipation.

Up first we have Reading based Nicole Allan who brings her own version of Americana to Aces ‘n’ Eights for the first time. I’d briefly caught Nicole a few weeks back at the open mike night she hosts at The Butler in Reading and was immediately impressed by her voice. Tonight was the first time seeing a full set and I was not disappointed. Nicole has an incredibly strong soulful voice coming across like a countrified Alanis Morrisette whilst having a decent collection of tunes to show off her vocal dexterity. Making the first of many appearances tonight, Runnin Blue’s own Neil Packman gets on stage for Nicole’s final song and provides harmonica for a rousing ‘Should’ve Known Better’.  Nicole is definitely one to watch and a name to remember.  Nicole Allan - Mar 24 Christmas 2020 and the UK went back into lockdown for a second time – I found myself facing a solo Christmas in an empty house. Luckily a few days before, a copy of Sarah Vista’s ‘…Sings Songs from the Silver Screen’ had popped through the letterbox and became my soundtrack for that strange Christmas Day. I love spaghetti westerns, especially the soundtracks, as does Sarah and the album included cracking versions of ‘Django’ and ‘Johnny Guitar’ amongst others. I’ve missed seeing Sarah on numerous occasions, so tonight was going was always going to be special. Sarah Vista - Mar 24 Opening with the atmospheric ‘Killing Fever’, Sarah’s velvety tones weave around a tale of vengeance whilst Neil is back on the harmonica again. Not surprisingly given Sarah love of westerns, her songs feature tales of gunslingers and murderous intent with echoes of Morricone’s legendary soundscapes, especially on ‘I’ll Die With My Boots On’ about the only woman to be hung in Arizona, Eva Dugan. An imagined duet with Johnny Cash, ‘My Baby’s Bad’ invokes memories of the great man himself and his album of duets with June Carter. With songs such as ‘I Wish You Hell’ and the dark ‘Now You Are Sleeping’, Sarah shows that she can match the best of the murder balladeers. Despite a few technical glitches, it’s a fantastic set that brought a big smile to my face. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I see Sarah again. Sarah Vista - Mar 24 Mississippi born but Texas based Jason Eady has made a name for himself over the last 20 years on the country scene and has released a number of critically acclaimed albums. This gig sold out months ago and Jason clearly has a dedicated fan base in the UK, although extra marks must go to the fellow American who came along having met him on a tequila trip in Mexico earlier in the year and just happens to currently live in London.

Jason’s guitar playing is second to none and it is hard to believe that he is playing by himself given the range of sounds coming from his instrument. With crystal clear vocals permeated by his southern drawl, Jason is a very engaging raconteur treating us to as many tales as songs. Reminding us that mentioning your age in the first line of your songs is the easiest way to age yourself, Jason gives us a version of ‘Old Guitar and Me’ and it shows that age really doesn’t matter when a song is performed this well. Jason Eady - Mar 24 Jason comes from a military family and served his time in the American air force including a posting to the UK in his youth. Following this introduction, he tells the story of his grandfather’s involvement in the Allied invasion of Italy during the last world war and how chance meant he survived to the end of the war unlike many of his comrades on the beaches of Italy. The song ‘French Summer Sun’ moves the story to France but remains incredibly powerful especially the killer final verse. Jason Eady - Mar 24 With a back catalogue stretching back twenty years, Jason has plenty of material to fall back on but a light hearted highlight is a song about being mistaken for his doppelganger Matt Damon. With smiles all round, Jason introduces his latest album ‘Mississippi’. Preceded by a fascinating insight into his early teenage years living in Mississippi, Jason reminisces about his old blues guitar teacher and the Mississippi blues he taught him. Jason Eady - Mar 24 What follows is a fantastic selection of outstanding swampy delta blues songs from the album with Neil being allowed to let rip on his harmonica throughout. DJ Dam Muddy joins Jason and Neil with his egg shaker and the night turns into a bluegrass hoedown. Jason Eady - Mar 24 Sadly, all good things need to end and after ninety minutes, the curfew kicks in and the set has to finish. Considering that Jason plays considerably larger venues in the States, getting to see him in such an intimate venue as Aces ‘n’ Eights has been a privilege tonight. 

It's nights like this that remind you why grassroots venues such as Aces 'n' Eights are so important - three excellent artists at various stages in their careers entertaining all with their musical abilities.  Jason Eady - Mar 24