Rock, Salt & Nails were the headliners for the evening, they were also the only one of the three bands playing that night that would also be playing the festival proper.
Originally formed as a trio, the band have since expanded to a five piece. The band have been together for close to six years and already have a couple of albums behind them.
Their experience of each other's work allowed them to cut loose a bit more than the previous acts and they used that advantage to the full. Whether they were playing reels or jigs, or slow airs, they played as though they meant it. Rock, Salt and Nails play with passion and come across as the real thing. There are too many folk bands that sound and feel as if they are going through the motions, RS&N play from the heart.
Hailing from the Shetlands, that regions music is obviously the bands' biggest influence, but there are subtle mixes of music from the South, the Southern States that is, with hints of bluegrass, rockabilly and tex-mex permeating their sound.
All too soon it was over, but it had done the job, not only had they provided the climax to a good night's entertainment, they had also wetted the appetite for the next day. Suspiciously enough the first band on Stage 1 would be Rock Salt & Nails.
After that came one of the most disappointing sights of the festival as the first juggler hove into view. There is something sad about jugglers, the more of them there are the sadder they seem. Cambridge tends to be awash with them, mainly because there are juggling workshops for little kids and those with little minds. These hadn't started by the Thursday so here was a very sad individual indeed.
Fortunately I was distracted by the offer of a pint, so resisting the temptation to laugh it was time to head off, have a few drinks and slip slowly into Friday morning sat around a candle with the rest of the Junkkulture team until one by one sleep got the better of us.