The Happy Cats at The Causey Arch The Causey Arch near Beamish is an archetypal English country pub with far reaching views over a particularly picturesque chunk of County Durham. There is an adjacent golf course to the rear and a working steam railway 100 yards to the front. In fact when you include some good beer it has every talking point available to make it a bar room bore’s heaven. It could easily be anywhere in England such as Sussex or Somerset until Fridays come along. The Causey has something of a reputation for being a great venue for music and last Friday it was The Happy Cats advertised on the roadside blackboard. An unassuming kind of venue for a band with an unassuming kind of name on an explosive night of music and sheer, unadulterated entertainment. Marty Craggs did not spend seventeen years touring the world as the front man for the now sadly defunct Geordie legends Lindisfarne without having the ability to hold a crowd in the palm of his talented hands. Even the fact that they had had their “company” Christmas lunch earlier in the day could not dampen the class exuded by these three very special musicians. Two hours before they were due to play and the all of the tables were taken with revellers enjoying the culinary offerings of the ancient hostelry. By the time the band took to the floor, most of the available space was taken and, with some exuberantly inebriated clients to entertain, it was clear the Messrs Craggs, Duffy and Dodd would have their work cut out. However the Happy Cats formula is essentially a simple one. Take three more than accomplished musicians capable of giving virtuoso performances on an array of instruments, add a large dash of showmanship, spread lavishly through a repertoire that has something for absolutely everybody. Then add an audience, entertain for a couple of hours then send everyone home happy. Sounds easy doesn’t it? It isn’t but the Happy Cats manage it night after night. From the opening harmonica notes of Marty’s song Drifting Through to a spellbinding version of Lowell George’s classic Willing, which was the climax to the show, the audience was treated to a roller coaster ride of music spanning the decades as well as the genres. Represented was rock, country. cajun, celtic and pop music. A little folk crept in with Marty singing the Banks of The Roses, accompanying himself on bhodrun while the others had a breather. Songs by Dylan, Mark Knopfler, The Saw Doctors, Shania Twain and the Pogues sat easily with the bands own songs from their recent album Follow the Moon. Their regular cap doffing in the direction of the late Alan Hull was All Fall Down, a lament for the passing of towns as we know them when planners are left unchallenged to do their worst. Their own song entitled appropriately It Doesn’t Come Any Better Than This just about summed the proceedings of the evening up for most of us. Les Dodd’s one man rhythm section on guitar and Brian Duffy’s sweet accordion and keyboard playing neatly showcases Marty’s soulful voice and whistle, flute, harmonica and saxophone. The latter never fails to get the crowd going, especially in the culmination to Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl. There is something indefinably satisfying about leaving a live show with warm hands from clapping and a hoarse voice after joining in having made a number of new friends who you are sure to see again at a future gig. While venues such as this continue to host live music and musicians as talented as the Happy Cats play there, thousands of us will continue to support them. The north-east has such places in abundance. Long may they prosper.