There was snow on Tyneside, snow in Hexham and many will have assumed that it would be much worse high up in Allendale. BUT no, there was only a dusting, the roads were fine and we had a superb night.

There was a couple who made the trek from Huddesfield, a couple from Stanley, another from Penrith plus many more who braved the elements. Snakey and the band were in top form and delivered two fabulous sets. The atmosphere was also first rate helped by the magic of the Magus which was in terrific condition.

The band ...

• Snake Davis - saxes, flutes

• Winston Blisset - bass guitar (this is Winston's return gig with Snake after playing for eight months with Massive Attack)

• Paul Birchall - Hammond organ (seriously good)

• Bryan Hargreaves - drums

Snake Davis is one of the most popular musicians to ever appear in the Northeast. During the past few years he has also been part of the superb Blues Shoes duo with the excellent Jim Diamond, but has had his own funky band for many a year and we first saw him as the house band on the hit TV drama series, The Paradise Club.

With the band, Snake Davis turns up the funk and cruises into soul with that midnight bluesy, jazzy ingredient. Musically it's cracking stuff. This gig will include some of the old favourites and material from the latest album "Hysteria".  The band includes Hammond organ and keyboard player Paul Birchall and drummer Bryan Hargreaves.

If you do not know the rest of the background, here are some snake bites .....

Snake Davis is well established as one of the UK's leading saxophonists. He is in demand from the biggest names on the British popular music scene, as well as visiting artists from overseas. In recent years he has been extremely busy and in the public eye. As resident saxophonist on "Tonight With Jonathon Ross" he plays with the likes of, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Chaka Khan and many more. He has been seen regularly on TV performing with leading bands such as the Eurythmics, M-People and B*Witched and presented a saxophone "Masterclass" programme for ITV. He played all featured saxophone and flute parts - on record and tour - for Lisa Stansfield and M-People.

Snake Davis regularly plays live with ....
M-People, Eurythmics, Lisa Stansfield, Swing Out Sister, Ray Charles, Boy George, B*Witched, Edwin Starr, The Snake Davis Band, Rose Royce, Sister Sledge, Tavares, Odyssey, The Three Degrees, The Real Thing, Mary Wells, Ruby Turner, Martha Reeves, Eddie Holman, Popcorn Wylie, Chuck Jackson, Syreeta.

Snake's TV shows include ....
Personal appearances playing own music on "The Tube" and ITV "Masterclass". "Later With Jools Holland", "National Lottery Show", "BBC Children In Need", "Eurythmics On Tour", "Good Morning Show" and "The Paradise Club" - where Snake played himself in the series.

Snake has written or been involved with these theme tunes and TV bands
"Watching", "Jimmy's", "Pressgang", "Tonight With Jonathon Ross", "Pebble Mill" and "The Paradise Club". Numerous TV and Radio Adverts.

What the critics say about Snake ....

"Snake Davis has one of the most passionate Sax styles and simple bluesy approaches a-la Sanborn heard in these Isles for a while." TIME OUT

"A virtuoso saxophonist" DAILY TELEGRAPH

"The saxophone cannot have been this prominent on a Wembley stage in years" THE TIMES

"Snake is a joy to work alongside. His musical skills have no limit - in fact he's as free as a bird" DAVE STEWART

"From raw power to a joss-stick carrying ambience then back through reggae, soul and funk, Snake set the world alight elevating the mind" CARLISLE EVENING PRESSnake Davis is quite a player. He has slithered into town, a tenor playing secret that Manchester has been trying to keep to itself" EVENING STANDARD

"A brilliant Sax player who could wail like the best American players, but was at his best weaving around slow ballads - won deserved acclaim" BLUES AND SOUL

"He doesn't mess about" THE GUARDIAN