Just back from The Waterboys at Hammersmith Apollo, or Hammersmith Odeon as it will be more fondly known to many.  Mike Scott and his 'raggle taggle' band of various musicians have over the past 25+ years created something pretty wonderful and only temporarily gone into self-parody (around 2003 then Mike fronted a five piece guitar-only version playing bad Jimi Hendrix solos and distorting his back catalogue into oblivion).  I feared he had gone awry again when he launched his 'An Appointment with Yeats' concert tour and album last year.  A whole evening of ponderous songs based on Yates poetry?…not sure Mike.  The version we got at The Odeon was a better format - part "vintage Waterboys" (Mike's words), a second part songs from Mr Yates [including an odd masked performance] and then an encore of greatest tunes.  The star of all three segments is the astonishing electro fiddle playing of Steve Wickham, who makes a noise on the violin like no other.  Another time I must revisit the astonishing legacy of these guys [Wickham played on U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday, Waterboys keyboard player Karl Wallinger wrote She's The One which became a hit for Robbie Williams, Sinead O'Connor sang backing vocals on Wallinger's World Party debut album, before becoming enormous with a song by Prince…]  I have the Wickham playing now.  If you needed any reminder, or have never seen him play:  The Pan Within, recorded in Germany.