Saturday
Everyone's favourite Canadians, well for this festival at least, Mauvais Sort gather at one end of the stage. They've already played stage one and they'll be playing stage two later in the festival. They're looking to give themselves a festival hatrick by playing The Session.
They're a little more casual, in line with The Sessions more relaxed attitude. They've even switched instruments and prominence, but aside from the clothes, there is nothing casual about the performance.
Mauvais Sort are a show band par excellent. A bands first priority is to make music that they enjoy. Their second is to entertain. Mauvais Sort are a band that do both with abundance. They do Quebec proud.
Tim O'Brien did the fiddle and mandolin workshop on the Friday morning, this is the first chance I've had to catch him play. Tim comes across as a perfectionist, an intensity of thought. It may be nerves, but he seems to find faults in his own playing that few if any in the audience would spot if he hadn't pointed them out.
He's soon into his stride and absorbed into the vibe, at which point you can see him physically relax. He's got a great new song about having your mobile on silent and then getting ghost vibrations so when you take your phone out of the pocket, there's no one there. Truly bluegrass for the 21st century.
Tim O'Brien is joined by Dermot Burn from Altan to accompany Tim for his last couple of number. The first tune is "Chameleon", the second based on a Scots/Irish tune, "Ireland's Green Shore" which had been given a bit of mountain man treatment.
Tim is then also joined by Brian McNeill, Sara Cull and Brian Miller for a number. There's barely enough time to write all their names. They've cut short so that 6 Day Riot can have a couple of numbers.
6 Day Riot had made the mistake of wandering back stage at Stage 2 it was a mistake that would cost them two songs.
The influence of Kletzmer is being felt more and more, particularly in bands coming out of the capital. 6 Day Riot blend it into a mixture of bluegrass and 1920s Parisian chic.
It's the first time I've seen them and it's quite an impression they make, particularly Tamara Schlesinger in her bright pink dress and playing a Uke. It's Cambridge on a Saturday afternoon, but close your eyes and you could easily be transported to a left bank bordello.
Following 6 Day Riot onto the stage are an expected act Beoga. It's a warm up set for them and their festival debut. By the end of the festival, they would have knocked off all three stages.
They hit the ground running, there's not a lot of time at The Session to make a first impression, it's pretty much straight in and straight out. They've got some good craic, the interband banter between songs comes across well, it feels natural, as does the playing.
I guess there must be a temptation to really go for it when it's such a short slot and that brings a risk of overcooking it. Beoga and their traditional sound pretty much hits the sweet spot.
There's a brief return by members of Wheeler Street, Jeana and Siobhan, Sara CUll and others for a rendition of "The Kings Shilling" behind them the crew are getting the stage set for the next band