Pinmonkey singer Michael Reynolds has what country music fans call a high, lonesome voice. Reynolds and his Nashville bandmates were truly on the lonesome side yesterday afternoon. Pinmonkey closed the London Country Jam as it wound down outside the John Labatt Centre before a crowd estimated by an organizer to be 900 fans.

But by the time Pinmonkey was finishing the three-day fest off with the old Stones' classic, Honky Tonk Women, there seemed to be just several hundred souls left. Those hardy few were basking in the good, neo-traditional Pinmonkey sounds and the afternoon sun. Pretty lonesome.

Pinmonkey is a young band with one big hit, Barbed Wire and Roses, and no Canadian major label connection. That might explain why scores of fans who gave Canada country hitmaker Charlie Major of Ottawa a standing ovation drifted away before and during Pinmonkey's hour-plus set.

The long changeover from Major to Pinmonkey, including twhat amounted to a sound check, didn't help keep fans focused.

Canadian indie act Jaclyn and Cassandra opened yesterday afternoon's show.

By contrast with Country Jam 2002, the second edition of the fest was blessed with good weather. It rained off and on during last year's fest and the power failed once, but fans were excited by the Canadian performers building to U.S. stars Sawyer Brown at the finale.

This time, two of three U.S. headliners did not appear. In both cases, the fest bumped up acts set for the second-last spot. That put Pinmonkey into the finishing slot for Sara Evans. On Saturday, Canadian star Jason McCoy closed in an unreviewed concert before an estimated 2,600 to 3,000 fans. (Crowds for last year's Day 2 and Day 3 were 4,500 and 3,500 respectively).

Announced 2003 headliners Evans and Brad Paisley did not appear because of a contract dispute between the William Morris Agency and promoter Adam Green.

Event staff posted notices "offering their most sincere and humble apologies . . . due to circumstances beyond (our) control." Refunds and partial refunds are to start being processed today at 2000 Tours, 299 Springbank Dr., London. It "will take seven to 14 business days to process" refunds.

There was plenty of music to applaud yesterday -- including the backward ballcap-wearing Major's Right Here, Right Now and Pinmonkey's dobro player Chad Jeffers, who sizzled all set.

But any Jam that can't produce two of its three hyped headliners and then runs endless changeovers between good acts is no way to start the summer music fest season.

By coincidence, closing-act-by-default Pinmonkey is named for the hard-working pin boys who toiled in old bowling alleys. It's not their fault that Country Jam Year 2 rolled backwards.