A good sized crowd greeted local 6-piece rockin' boogie band On the level for the launch of their second CD Bottom of the Bottle, the follow up to Blues in E.

Opening the set with Don't waste my time, the band then lifted the track I don't know what from the new disc. The tune, typical of this group's repetoire, soon had the dance floor jumpin'.

Taliban blues, penned by Steve Connolly (harp/vocals). Baby gone left me, from Blues in E, slowed things a little, while Morning comes, another song off the new CD, about love & family, kept things at a pedestrian pace before the boys launched into a rapid fire cover of Van Halen's Ice cream man, followed by Rollin' stone off the new cd, which had the punters 'shakin' what they got' once again.

Wet boogie was the next song to keep 'em dancin' to a Bo Diddley beat. More off BOTB CD followed, Why don't you talk, De ja vu and Break the blues rounded out the original numbers before vocalist, songwriter & mainman, 'Diamond' Dave Gillam & the band payed homage to British Boogie Band Status Quo with an excellent version of Break the rules.

With Jim Arwan (bass), Billy Blisset (keys), 'Bones' Ironside (drums) and Dave 'Tex' Bates (guitar), you'll have to go a long way to find a more up tempo, good time, rockin' boogie/blues band in this city - as was obvious by the packed dance floor and smiling faces.

All in all, a very well received show (judging by the queue at the CD shop). A good time had by all !