THE Johnny Cash Roadshow rolled into town on Thursday night and had the audience foot-stompin’, finger-pickin’ their winter blues away.

Clive John was mesmerising as the Man In Black at New Theatre Oxford, delivering track after glorious track to perfection.

Close your eyes and you could imagine Cash taking centre stage at one of those 1950s American concert hall gigs, or in front of howling inmates at San Quentin jail.

John began his tribute act in 2005 and has since taken the roadshow across the world, keeping alive the spirit of the great man who died in 2003.

As he admitted himself, it's difficult to do Cash justice in a little under three hours. After all, his career spanned from 1954 to 2003 and saw the release of 96 albums and 153 singles on numerous record labels.

But John and his band took us on a high-energy journey through many of the classic hits, with the frontman even mimicking the croaky voice Cash had in his later years off to a tee.

The roadshow was not without its hiccups, but that added to its charm. And the night was even more impressive given that drummer Graham Cuttill had joined only a week earlier and was performing live with the band for the first time.

The show opened with Folsom Prison Blues and Man In Black before John was joined on stage by the brilliant Amanda Stone as June Carter-Cash. Despite a fault which left them sharing a mic, their rendition of Jackson was spot on.

Other favourites were San Quentin, Got Rhythm, I Walk The Line and the classic Boy Named Sue.

When I listen to Cash I always think of Sunday dinners with my dad, his Greatest Hits Volume One playing on the turntable. So I was thrilled to hear Understand Your Man, Orange Blossom Special and It Ain't Me, Babe from that album belted out by John and the crew.

Special mention, too, for John's own Cash-style song, September, which reached number two in the country charts following its release last year.

No Johnny Cash night would be complete without his signature tune Ring of Fire, and the audience were on their feet for a fitting finale to a memorable night.