Whether he’s playing to crowds of ten or a thousand, David Ford will always impress with the amount of effort and raw passion he puts into his performances.

This time around he’s supporting Alabama 3 on tour and, whilst in Newcastle there is already a gathering of people around the barrier as he takes to the stage, in Middlesbrough the Alabama 3 fans are a little more wary.

They prefer to remain seated at the rear of the room, eyeing warily the unknown individual who begins by making a racket onstage as he shakes various wooden boxes into his microphone for opening song Nothing at All.

It’s testament to the magic of Ford’s live shows, then, that the further into his set he gets, the more people start to creep forward for a better view. After all, who wouldn’t be intrigued by a man wielding everything from washboards to drums made out of drawers, not to mention showcasing his signature trick of recording and looping himself ad infinitum so that he really does become a one man band.

By the time he reaches his wonderful State of the Union finale, layering endless instruments and vocal wails as he stands atop a stool and bangs piano keys with his feet, there are camera phones pointing at him from every direction.

He leaves the stage to open mouths and rapturous applause, proving once again that there is no one puts on a show quite like David Ford.

With thanks to Dave and David. Visit www.davidfordmusic.com for more info.