Cerys Matthews at the Band Room, Farndale

Sarah, Magdalena & I went to see Cerys Matthews & her band at the Band Room, Farndale, here in the foothills of the North Yorkshire Moors last Saturday night. (Cerys comes into The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, because she helped Bucky Baxter build a studio in the woods... in a place almost as out-of-the-way as the Band Room.) Her website doesn't admit the existence of this gig at all, but in reality it was the opening night of her tour. How her big blue double-decker tour bus made it over the bridge at Low Mill I don't know.

This was the venue we wanted Dylan to come to, a year or two back (the idea was originally Sarah's): but though the attempt to get him generated much publicity, it was mishandled as a practical overture. The approach was made merely to the promoter of Dylan's upcoming big-venue UK dates of the time, so it was doomed to fail. They should have asked his office, and explained the idea properly. And still should, since every "name" act that does play the Band Room (capacity 80-100) finds it the most charming, funkily intimate venue they've ever played, and in the most beautiful possible setting.

Cerys Matthews certainly seemed to enjoy herself, and she was terrific: full of life, openness, playful zest and integrity - and an authority that didn't posture or ever become pseudo-masculine - and her fine band achieved a nifty balance between engaging thought-out arrangements and bright improvisation, setting Ms Matthews free to play as little or as much as she felt like, moment by moment, and to sing out with exuberant confidence.

The support act was a young man whose entire repertoire was sung in Welsh, though he addressed the audience in English between songs. He sang sweetly, and played excellent acoustic guitar, but as men with cigars will be telling him, if he wants to get anywhere he'll have to swallow his nationalist pride and sing in the global language of English.