We crammed into Café Su Su, Jindabyne for an evening of guitar, vocals, violin, fine food and good company.

   Once seated, I looked up and noticed a large and foreboding speaker box just a couple of metres from my right ear.

   The café is a small and vibrant space where volume levels can rise rapidly to a point where not a single sound is distinguishable from another and syllables and music swirl together into a kind of audio concrete.

   The usual: “testing, testing, check, check” got underway and I took a large sip of red wine in preparation for an imminent assault on my auditory senses.

   I was keen to hear Elizabeth Westcott’s violin playing especially since she was a semi-finalist in the BBC’s Young Folk Awards.

   She had to be good. The competition is fierce over there in the UK.

   Folk concerts in the Irish tradition can be loud exuberant affairs and as the violin was being hooked up to the speaker system I wondered how long I’d last.

   With Nuala Honan on guitar and vocals and Elizabeth on electrified violin the concert got underway.

   I jumped up to capture the evening on camera when, just as if some strange and mystical power had read my mind, there was a loud “spitzen-sparken donner blitzen” from the sound system.

   What to do now?

   Calls for a replacement were futile and the audience was ready and waiting to be entertained.

   The decision was made to carry on “unplugged”.

The girls moved in close and we re-arranged the tables and chairs in an improvised semi-circle.

  The result was an evening of wonderful music performed by two very gifted performers in a special and intimate environment where interaction with the audience was overflowing.

Elizabeth Westcott on violin and Nuala Honan, guitar/vocals at Su Su's Cafe Jindabyne

   With the focus now firmly on the music, invasive table conversation ceased.

   Nuala’s personality was irresistible and her vocal prowess superb. She delivered her lyrics with the conviction of a true artist and kept the audience engaged between songs with bubbling patter. 

   Elizabeth’s violin playing was as good as you get.

   Together they presented a mix of folk music that somehow reminded me of J.J. Cale.

   The communication between them was palpable and as one member of the audience commented to Elizabeth: “ You only have to move an eyebrow and Nuala is right there with you”.

   With no sound system to hide behind and no soundman to muddy the show, the girl’s true ability came to the fore.

   I’m definitely one for going “unplugged”. 

Visit www.nualaandthealchemyquartet.com for more.