TO SHARE in a concert so intimate is truly refreshing. The Groanbox Boys were performing in the front room of a cottage in the village of Warthill, to no more than 30 people.

We were sitting almost in the band, so there was no need for excessive amplification.

You could see every note played. When percussionist Paul Clifford swung the freedom boot – a totem covered with beer bottle tops, you felt the air swoosh.

If the band was off-form, there would be nowhere for them to hide or the audience to cringe.

Fortunately, there was not a moment of such alarm.

This three-piece has tapped into the O Brother Where Art Thou interest in Americana. The music was considerably more interesting than duelling banjos however, with Michael Ward-Bergeman’s accordion combining well with Cory Seznec’s varied stringed instruments to touch on gipsy music and all points south, including Cajun. Seznec loosened up considerably in the second set, and really shone. Clifford only recently joined the band, but his quiet presence and crazy instruments (including a yew tree log played with hammer and a tin can) really enlivened proceedings.

The singing was excellent, particularly from Ward-Bergeman, soulful and when in harmony, as on I'm Mississippi Bound, shot through with rootsy feeling. The concept behind the Living Room concerts is that rather than making a fleeting connection with tens of thousands, the aim is to make a far greater impression on a select few.

On this close encounter, it is no idle boast.