The air outside may have been recovering from another 35 degree-plus day, but inside the Perth Blues Club on Tuesday night, the mood was cool as ever.

The night promised three great performances from three very different performers.  

Richie Pavledis 

Richie Pavledis was the first to take the stage. Seven months ago to the day was Pavledis's last time in the Blues Club. Now that he's back in Western Australia, he's gearing up for a string of gigs all around the Perth area, then he's off to Europe for some gigs next year.

Pavledis's controlled vocals were pleasant to hear as he launched into his first song. His sharp, simple finger picking provided a backing for his dynamic voice, which roamed all over the place as he played his first song with a slight country feel.

By the second song, he was getting into his stride, and the upbeat tune had people's fingers tapping on the tables. By the time he came to his song Holly, his fingers had started some pretty intricate guitar picking, and the bass drum he was controlling with his foot was booming away to the beat.

Pavledis introduced a harmonica into the mix, and soon a few people started dancing to the music.

By the time his set ended, Pavledis had proved that not only could he multitask with a guitar, stomp box, harmonica and vocals in the same song, but his vocal range included some vibrato as well. He closed with a rousting rendition of Ram Jam's Black Betty - always a crowd favourite.

James Southwell Band

Next to arrive on stage was James Southwell and his band, who Rick Steele introduced as at the forefront of the next generation of Blues lovers. Southwell completely defies the stereotype of a bluesman, but his songs infuse strong metallic bass and drums with a bluesy sound, with some definite Hendrix-y influences.

Southwell provided something very different from the usual blues fare, proving he has a range of sounds, from soft vocals with moody guitar to repeated shouting choruses with some metal attached.

Bass player Mark Easton took the microphone for the song John the Revelator. The  beat was a cross between ragtime and Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock, and soon a crowd was dancing to Eastick's fast, gravel vocals. The audience was asked to song along, with a few people giving it their shouting best.

One of Perth's blues godfathers, Matt Taylor (founding member of Chain), made an unexpected appearance, and took over the microphone for some improvisation while Southwell and his band backed him up. Taylor made up some lyrics and played harmonica over Southwell's 12-bar blues, and the dancers grooved along to the never-to-be-heard-again song.

Taylor gave the microphone back to Southwell after a few songs, and the audience heard some more of Southwell's unusual style. Despite his obvious rock influences, he's not afraid to break out the old 12-bar for some classic blues crooning about ladies and love.

The band ended with some funky solos and a rendition of Hendrix's Foxy Lady.

Paul O'Brien

Paul O'Brien concluded the night with a set that showcased his quick finger picking using his electric guitar. He had a mellow voice with the easy ability to sharpen it up when the tune called for it.

O'Brien's picking was very impressive, with his fingers twinkling rapidly all over the strings to make all the non-guitar players regret quitting those lessons back when they were 12.

The three sets of songs heard throughout the night proved that far from being just one sound, blues can encompass many different styles - and it's good to know that there's a next generation of blues artists ready to bring the genre into the 21^st century.