Inner Sense

How about this for the global village: an English based percussion group, fronted by a Spanish born singer playing the music of Brazil in a Galway pub decorated with the interior of a Scottish church as the opening act of an event sponsored by a Dutch beer company? Inner Sense, a 10 piece percussion group from Manchester, show that, given enough rhythm, all things are possible.

They play an eclectic mix of instruments that includes up to four Sardo or bass drums, a range of rattlers and shakers of all shapes and sizes, guitars, a saxophone and something called a Caica; a friction drum that sounds like a cross between a strangled monkey and a squeaky blackboard. It comes into its own on a number called Great Big Dog. Said workout also gives us, of all things, a tambourine solo.

But never has the drum sounded so chic. Oozing confident sexuality Suzanna Montero flitts her way into the hearts of the crowd as the music, driven for the most part by Eddie Sherwood's snare drum tattoo, slowly but surely drives its way to their feet. Half way through the first number, toes are tapping and bums are wiggling as a series of richly textured drum patterns bring a taste of carnival to the west of Ireland. The rules are simple: if it's not samba it's reggae and soon the dancefloor is filled with the happy, frolicking masses. A more joyful start to the weekend would be difficult to imagine.