It was a slow burning country rock groove from the offset. Bend your knees and climb on board the sweetest bourbon rhythm, set powerfully by Phil Wilkinson’s drums and the smooth power of Jono Johnston’s bass. Guitarist and for the most part lead vocalist Paul Wilkinson looks every bit the front man and has the most gorgeous 21st century twang that would make Gram Parsons wish he was still around. These guys can lift the noise levels and bring it down again without showing the join and then just as it feels and sounds great the multi-instrumentalist Tim Millen adds the color and shade of his accordion, harmonica, clarinet and honky tonk piano to take something as close to heaven as any band this side of the Atlantic can take you right now. He’s the luxury, the extra flight, the halo above the saintly sound.

And the songs. Not one filler and with an ep for sale they can afford to not have to play all the songs on it and leave out another wee gem called "Slip of a Girl" and still play a lengthy set. "Big Broken Man" and the title track of the ep are standouts. "Autumn" sees Wilkinson leaving the vocal to Johnston without losing anything in quality. "Dirty Love" is just being born into classic status. There is little doubt that it is still in development as are some others here but even in development they are very finely crafted. Since none of the band having sang lead in any of their previous incarnations, this may have been a fear. Could they cut it? My feeling is that the vocals will get stronger and needs to be in order to take this band where the potential should take it but time and touring will give them confidence and match fitness needed. There is a powerful vulnerability in vocals and songs which fits the whole dream package very neatly. It was so good that near the end I realized that the amazing Pilots were but the support for another exile returning. One Iain Archer, Bangor boy who seemed to have the world at his feet in the mid-nineties when his single "Wishing" was all over the radio but sadly the resources were not their to have it in the shops in enough quantities to chart. But where has the prodigal been. In London, apparently writing in a collaboration that funded his life but ended up with him still outside the success that his guitar playing, voice, and songs deserve. It seems from tonight’s performance that it funded something else though. A new fresh zeal for his own music and live performance. Tonight, the crowd who were a bit of a school reunion of those who followed him through those mid nineties glories were treated to an Archer performance that had the charismatic energy of his very earliest gigs. By the time he went off to London, he seemed weary and going through motions, maybe disillusioned, maybe fed up singing "Wishing." Tonight he was back with new songs and new enthusiasm. He kicked off with "Magical" a song from his Crazy Bird album that had a new trickery about it. He played many many new songs that leaves the mouth watering for his third full length album. Welcoming the Pilots back on stage, we watched as Archer slipped comfortably into his country phase. New possibilities, new moods, new grooves and new songs a plentiful. Of these, "End of the Road" was staggering. "Raise the Flag" was rocking. "Mirrorball Moon" was a perfect song to end a night in this kind of Belfast small bar setting. As he left the stage, I could sense that this is what it was like when Dylan met The Band and to prove my point they came back for a raucous version of "I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight."

They are back and not just at home where their small Irish tour ended on Saturday at The Menagerie in Belfast. They are back doing the business and soon the business will have to take notice. More!!!!!!!