Sincere thanks to all of you who left messages of condolence regarding M's untimely and tragic death. I have read all of the comments to K, and he appreciates them very much.

Last night, I was more than ready for some great live music, in order to provide a temporary respite from all the sorrow and sadness. And my God, did the Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela deliver - high-octane flamenco-esque covers of thrash metal tunes being just what the doctor ordered. (Just don't use the f-word around them, that's all; they're a little prickly about it.)

My review for the Nottingham Evening Post can be read here, and the duo's forthcoming live dates can be found here. They play Exeter tomorrow, Portsmouth on Friday, London on Sunday, Suffolk on July 15th, the Cambridge Folk Festival on July 30th, and the Big Chill festival on August 6th.

Now, I'm not much given to evangelising about music these days - I've found it to be a largely fruitless and even counter-productive strategy over the years - but in this case, I'm going to make an exception. Whatever your taste in music, YOU MUST SEE THEM. AND THAT IS AN ORDER! I HAVE SPOKEN!

(An edited version of this review originally appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post.)

Rodrigo and Gabriela started their careers in their native Mexico, where they played on the thrash metal scene. Frustrated by lack of success, they split from their band mates and started busking on beaches as an acoustic guitar duo, eventually ending up in Europe. To their surprise, they landed a record deal – which earned them a recent Number One album in Ireland.

Following an appearance on Jools Holland’s Later, British interest in the duo is quickly growing – as evidenced by the capacity crowd in the Rescue Rooms, who cheered them to the rafters.

Although many would describe them as a flamenco act, Rodrigo was keen to distance himself from the label. (“We are Mexican, not Spanish!”) Instead, the duo draws on their metal background, bringing raw rock energy into their acoustic playing. It’s dazzlingly accomplished stuff: fast and furious, intricate and complex, and wildly enjoyable. At times, it was difficult to believe that there were just two people on stage, as both musicians used their guitars as percussion instruments, even while their fingers flew over the fretboards.

The set mixed original material with covers of songs by Metallica, Led Zeppelin – and an impromptu encore of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, accompanied by massed singing from the crowd.

Rodrigo and Gabriela return to the UK in November, and have promised to play Nottingham again. What’s the betting they’ll be filling the Royal Concert Hall next time? But for those lucky enough to catch them early, playing their hearts out in a sweaty rock club, this was a rare and very special treat.