Sunday

KATE RUSBY cuts a lonely figure on stage. There are some solo artists capable of making any size stage look small, Kate isn’t one of them. She appears dwarfed by her surroundings, nervous almost vulnerable. It suits her music perfectly.

Performing on the back of a Mercury Award nomination, Kate quickly gets the audience behind her blend of traditional English folk. Her time performing with the Poozies seems to have improved her stage craft as well as strengthening her relationship with her audience.

In the past Kate has moved quickly from one song to the next, barely pausing to introduce the song. There is a lot more banter now. As the set progresses, the stage seems to get smaller.

KATE RUSBY is an artist that is fulfilling the hype that surrounded her. Two albums, great live performances and a Mercury nomination have confirmed Kate at the forefront of the English folk scene.

Following Kate onto stage is ERIC BIBB. Having performed earlier at the festival as part of a duo this time he’s back with his full band. Eric is now based in Sweden and his band hail from that neck of the woods. The result is blues with a slightly different accent to the rest.

The sound was electric with a highly acoustic edge. Bibb’s strength is in his songs, words rather than tunes. This is the blues of life, a more traditional sound without the misogynistic angle that would have accompanied this sound a few years back.

Bibb has real history with the blues and that’s something that he is able to reflect on stage whatever combination of musicians he’s using. Bibb’s sound is on a direct line from the likes of Robert Johnson. ERIC BIBB feeds off these traditions and more importantly adds to them. The audience lapped it up.

Whilst the stage is being reset, warnings are broadcast about the heat, which really seems to be hitting a zenith. I manage to squeeze in another interview before returning to Stage 1 to catch the second half of LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III.

Loudon is one of those artists that can make any stage too small. Larger than life, Loudon is alternatively cutting or funny, sometimes both. He exposes his own life as a metaphor for global events.

Not all of his songs are about the big issues. One of his funniest was about almost freezing to death along the M4 corridor, kinda ironic in the heat. An audience request for his hit single "Dead Skunk" brought results and a dig at Kate McGarragill.

A quick berate of the audience for their half-hearted effort in a sing-a-long brought the desired increase in volume. A mistake drew a correction from the crowd and a quip from Loudon. This was then followed by a dig at the Beeb now not being able to use that song.

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III is a highly versatile entertainer. Depending on his mood, you’re never quite sure what sort set you’re going to get. Loudon is a musical loose cannon. You never know what the objective is before he starts, you just know it’s going to go with a bang and we weren’t disappointed.