It must be Christmas: Earnest Cox have got fairy light on their drum kit. Very festive, if a little early. The Pig Inn, Gloucester, is an initimate venue and Shane, the owner of the Christmassy drums is a little worried that people he knows will be a matter of feet away from him. For him, it seems to be more nerve wracking that being at a bigger gig.

Hot Stuff:

Speaking of bigger gigs, Earnest Cox have been busy recently. Not long ago, they were to be found at the Bull and Gate in London. Although the band seem to be split as to how well it went. Simon (bass) thought it was excellent, but other band members have less fond memories. The story involves curry.....

'We decided to celebrate Nicky (keyboards) being in the band for a year with a curry before the gig. So we went to an Indian restaurant and had a massive meal,' La (vocals) explains. 'But the moment we got on stage, we all regretted it and felt a bit queasy.' Lovely.

Of Strings and Roads and Mobile Phones:

Fortunately, there will be no curry related incidents. The band have been too busy with other problems to tantalise their taste buds. Simon got stuck on the M40 getting here and forgot his mobile on the way.

Meanwhile, Nicky has been bossing her husband about asking him to find some guitar strings from the car. With half an hour to spare, the strings are found and attached to the acoustic. Earnest Cox will soon be in business.

On with the Show:

The set begins with a funk infused musical swagger of a song: "Scratching the Same Old Itch" a song about doing the same thing over and over again, even if it's bad for you. La snarls down a large mega phone while Nicky does a "Fool on the Hill" style motif on the keyboard. We are not two minutes into the set, and things are already looking good.

The band then move into another favourite, "Hello There Stranger". Never mind their respectable jobs as teachers and civil servants, Earnest Cox were born to rock. These people love to perform, whether or not they have just had a curry. La is a fantastic showman at the mic, as is Simon.

I Say I Say I Say

In between songs, Simon will act as an impromptu raconteur and stand up: 'There was a young lady from Leeds/Whose limericks never rhymed/People complained/They ended too soon.' You're never sure whether to laugh or cry. But there's more, whether you like it or not.

The band then move through a selection of quieter songs: "Oh Happy Day", "Stuntman Shoes" and then a rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Mark's Mum. It was the guitarist's mother's birthday yesterday and he's wearing a bright white tie to celebrate - much to the consternation of his band mates.

The Importance of Being Songwriters

It is in the quieter songs that the craftsmanship within the Coxian song writing machine becomes most evident. Yes, this band can put the fun into funkiness, but there is a depth to their music too. Oceans and oceans of depth.

Anyone who sees them at one of their forthcoming gigs - and, believe me, they have a lot of forthcoming gigs - will be able to see that for themselves.

Earnest vs. Robbie:

The Cox manage to make the everyday seem extraordinary Once upon a time, The Stereophonics did this. Now, perhaps, it is the turn of Earnest Cox. . "Don't tell me I'm the one who's winning/when I've got so much to lose," La sings poignantly at the beginning of Stuntman Shoes.

In the unfortunate event of you losing someone you love, listen to this song to sooth you. It will do you more good than any repeat playing of "Angels" or "I Will Always Love You" could ever do.

"The Trouble With Love" provides more of the same. 'You, you and me/let's go outside/we'll watch the stars,' sings La as he strums the newly restrung guitar. It's a beautiful lullaby of a song.

All Rapped Up:

Half way through, La is joined at the microphone by DJ Dirty Lyle, a beanpole of a man, who raps gently over the top of an instrumental provided by the musicians. The result is one of conflict.

On the one hand, it's an interesting experiment to introduce another musical style to the Cox cannon, on the other, the quick rhyming patterns seem to detract from the raw emotion of the graceful melody.

Dirty Lyle stays on for the last song, a rip-roaring funktastic song called "Two Can Play at that Game". Everyone in the place is enjoying this now. They are clapping along and those who know the lyrics are singing along.

The only problem is that Dirty Lyle's personality is so dominating that it detracts from the hard work of the other band members. This is a pity because in the background, Nicky, Mark, Shane and Simon are working furiously at the funky tune. The rapping may have a valuable place in the music, but would I sound too boring if I asked for some things in moderation?

They Think It's All Over

The tune seems to be coming to an end, when they smash their way into a coda I remember them rehearsing a few months back. They said that they would never do this. But they have. And it's a decision well made as it brings the focus right back to where it should be.

And with that, it all comes to an end. There are cheers. There are claps. There are demands for an encore. But we don't get one. Earnest Cox leave to get drinks and pack up. It's been an excellent performance, and there will soon be plenty more where they came from.

Later, I will ask each band member what they think of how it went and none of them will say they were satisfied. Which is odd: because everyone else there that night is very satisfied.

16/11/03 - First published on www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire