So Graham arrived on stage at The Junction bearing quite a reputation (but, alas, no hat). What would he do with it (the reputation, not the...)? In fact, he gave the impression that his relationship was with his music, that audience's expectations were no concern of his. Although known as an instrumentalist, he actually sang a lot, often a cappella. His repertoire was very eclectic, very international. Folk baroque guitar featured only sporadically. Those expecting the unexpected got what they expected when he suddenly launched into a series of tongue-twisters, followed by music hall anecdotes. Later in the set he repeated a couple of the tongue-twisters, for reasons obscure to all but him. For the encore Graham sang a brief song, accompanied on guitar by support act and tour manager Mark Pavey rather than himself. It might have seemed a strange ending to a concert by a guitar virtuoso, but by that stage the audience had got accustomed to Graham's individual ways.

One could say that the performance fell between two stools, in that the guitar-playing was not of such consistently high quality to match Graham's 60s performances, nor was his manner gloriously bizarre, just somewhat odd. But I imagine that, while audience satisfaction on the night may have been uncertain, this show will linger in the mind long after smoother performances have faded into recesses of vague memory. Graham remains an instinctively original and intensely engaged musician. His presence was a treat to be savoured, on his own terms.

Writer: Rychard Carrington