Coming out of Statesboro seven years ago, Brooks Williams' idol was Bert Jansch, the British `fingerstyle' guitarist and songwriter who has quietly gone about his business now for 32 years as a recording artist, influencing all manner of great names and small-town wannabes in the process. Williams may once have been one of the latter, but coincidental with the past three years in which he's been visiting Ireland, his own reputation has now hit the point where the next generation of acoustic singer/song writers will be dropping the name of Williams alongside Jansch.
Meeting for the first time tonight, Jansch went on first leaving the late-night crowd control to the able youngster. Jansch doesn't bother with stage-craft - he just plays and sings, mesmerisingly, with delicate songs and singular, intoxicating musicians hip, leaving the option of listening to those in attendance. Yet the degree of audience attention has little bearing on the quality of his performance.
Much of last night's was more passionate and focused than in the highly reverential atmosphere of his Dublin gig three days previous, and bizarrely he chose this one to dust off the delicate and rarely played Rosemary Lane. But the real highlight, and noise-queller, was the brand new, achingly poignant lullaby Toy Balloon.
Over-awed perhaps, but not showing it, Williams stepped up the gears with a breath-taking performance - 25 songs in all, incorporating an astonishing five encores - including tracks from his sensational new album Seven Sisters and his 1994 radio hit Rotterdam Bar.
Remarkably it was his first time playing the place, and it was clearly a moment of pride to work like demon and take it by storm.