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		THE LAUNCH TO BUY "I CAN EXPLAIN" CLICK THIS		Review from Netrhythms: "Gotta get myself cranked up", says David Hughes as his thumb sets up a rhythmic beat on his guitar. Once up to speed, his fingers dance across the strings, Gerry Conway starts adding some emphasis with a set of bongos, backing trio The Hughesettes begin to sway... and David launches into "Solution", a song about modern business management. Mmm, he knows the topics that will pack the audiences in. See, he does, though. "Solution" is about how people don't sell services any more, they provide "solutions", and it's delivered in his trademark sardonic style. If an analysis of postmodern business methods doesn't thrill, then just look at those fingers dancing in perfect flat-picking style, listen to the complex rhythms created between guitar and bongos, admire the subtle harmonies of The Hughesettes and remember once again that there's so much to enjoy at a David Hughes concert. This is no ordinary gig, either, the man has new product to sell. It's the launch of David's new album, "I Can Explain", and he's supported by a fine band. Apart from Gerry, there's Martin Brunsden on double bass and The Hughesettes, Jacqui McShee, Helen Watson and Chris While. They're a versatile bunch, too; for the next song, "Who Could Ask For Anything More", Chris plays backing guitar, while Gerry proves he's not just a drummer, he's a percussionist. Later, Martin will be playing the musical saw. That's for later, though. For now, David's playing through a few older songs before moving on to the new ones. "When you buy an acoustic guitar, you're given a 'cause'", he explains. "Sting got the rainforests, Bono got third world debt and I got rural transport..." with which he launches into "Blue Car". Highlight of the first set for me is "No Amount Of Money" from the new album. On "I Can Explain", it's an understated argument for selling one's principles, but live, my goodness... it swings, it's as chilled as a glacier with a side order of liquid nitrogen, and if Quentin Tarantino had been in the audience, he'd have been writing Kill Bill 3 just so he could use it over the end credits. It's followed by "Ruby Does", a song David wrote after watching his 11 year old daughter walking home from school. On the surface, an observation of a growing child, but the subtext of allowing your kids to explore a world that is not always changing for the better is one that won't be lost on any parent. That's what Hughes does best, he paints a picture then lets you see the detail that is the point of the song. Oh, and Ruby likes it a lot, so he's already got his toughest audience won over. The first half closes with "In Reality", another new song. Inspired by a Ricky Martin video - "He was wearing a silk shirt and Cuban heels, singing about falling in love in a nightclub, and I thought 'That's not how we do it. We fall in love at work, by the copying machine usually. And we don't wear silk shirts and Cuban heels, either. An Englishman falls in love with a pullover on...'" - it's another opportunity for the Hughesettes to do their glam girly doo-wop stuff. The second half continues with the same mix of old favourites like "Heart Of Stone" - "I wanted to write a 'murder' song, but I write about reality, and there's not many murders in Maldon. Luckily, though..." - and new songs. Anyone who saw David at Cropredy in 2003 will remember "I Drive A Red Car Now", a paean to middle-aged angst that contains the wonderful lyric "I know what people say about a middle-aged man, he drives a red car and still plays Steeleye bloody Span." The musical saw appears on "I Can Explain" (how does Martin Brunsden tune it, I idly wonder), and special guest PJ Wright strolls on stage to add some slide guitar to the final number, "Recognised". There's just one encore, "Health And Safety", and that's your lot. David Hughes is rightly lauded for his masterful finger-picking style and his sardonic, yet insightful lyrics, and there's much to commend "I Can Explain" from this live performance. He's got six fingers on each hand, at least three thumbs, he knows more tunings than the Ferrari pit crew and he's as observant as an electron microscope - but those are reasons for buying the new album. What you can only get live, though, are the anecdotes between songs, Chris, Helen and Jacqui adding glamour with the harmonies, Gerry and Martin adding an intuitive underpinning to the music, and a subtle drive that adds immediacy to the songs. Let's put it this way - last Saturday, David Hughes played The Mill, and by golly, it stayed played. Mark McCulloch Netrhythms