A Ramble Round Cherry Hinton

A good natured interview with Great Big Sea completed there is just enough time to grab a coffee backstage before heading back to the music. The Beautiful South's Liars Bar bus is providing some of the backstage facilities.

I'm just about to go when both Jules Holland and Beth Orton wander out of their caravans, presenting a photo opportunity that's too good to miss. As it happens, neither Jules or Beth are doing interviews at the festival, due to working commitments. Press liaison inform me that Sharon Shannon isn't talking either which means that I can just relax, chill out and enjoy the music.

I get back front in time to catch the last of Jez Lowe and a slightly less depressed audience than anticipated. The Festival Samaritans make a relieved withdraw. The stage crew get to work resetting the stage ready for the next act.

Keith returns from the exile imposed by the previous act, pint in hand. Next up is Beth Orton. It's recently been announced that Beth's album, "Trailer Park" has been included amongst the nominations for this year's Mercury Prize. The waif like figure of Beth Orton takes the stage to warm applause as she kicks into her first song.

The initial banter with the crowd isn't too hot, particularly with the older element in the crowd. You get the impression that Beth is used to a younger average age. Despite this, there is a definite appreciation of Beth's music and the sentiments contained within.

As with a lot of modern folk acts, there is a favour towards electrification in Beth's material. The songs are more singer/songwriter in style than folk. The band around Ms. Orton perform well enough, but I was unable to decide whether they were full time with her or session musicians with a bit more heart than usual.

The crowd get behind Beth as the set goes on and she loses the slight edginess that had tinged the start of her set. As her slot draws towards conclusion, a number of people are up on their feet bopping along to the pacier numbers.

As for me, I'm off to the Folk Tent to fulfil the promise that I'd made to Evon Brennan to catch her set. As I leave the side of stage I bump into an old Fatea contributor in the shape of Nic Stephens. We chat as we continue up towards the Folk Tent.

Evon Brennan is an Irish artist with trademark hair. Most of her set is performed sat at a keyboard, accompanied by a guitarist. The showcase set starts with a number of self penned songs that are well received.

Evon shows herself to be an artist that should do well on the folk circuit. She is also the possessor of a voice that just screams to be doing sultry jazz or r'n'b numbers, rather than the more conventional folk aspirations to which she'd been alluding.

Towards the end of the set Evon left her keyboard to finish on guitar. Coincidentally, these are also the best songs of the set. Whether that's because she has saved the best for last or whether it's because she happens to be better performing away from the keyboard is anyone's guess.

Evon Brennan showed herself to be an entertaining singer, but one that I think lacks that something needed to carry her to bigger time audiences. I think she has a great future as a club singer and she might prove me wrong about bigger audiences. I also think that there should be a more jazz element to her act. Whatever, on the night she played a set that entertained and arguably that's what counts.

It was time to take another trek across the site to catch the end of Sharon Shannon's set. Sharon plays traditional style folk music with a strong Celtic flavour and it was one that was going down extremely well.

Sharon has played Cambridge before and always draws a great response. She is one of the finest accordion players in the world today and her command of the instrument is awesome. Off stage, she can be painfully shy, but once under the spotlight, it's as if another person takes over. I have yet to see her perform a set that has not been delivered other than with confidence in her own ability.

A high audience knowledge of her albums and previous experience of the stage and venue means that there was a good rapport from the word go. By the time I arrived to catch the end of the set, the interaction was little short of mesmerising. There's an old adage about leaving the stage with the audience demanding more. Mission accomplished.

Time to squeeze in a quick half whilst the stage is reset for Jules Holland and His Big Band. The sound of ecstatic applause tells me that Jules and co. are on stage. A quick glance into the tent tells me that this is a set I'm going to listen to rather than see. All areas are packed out and it's definitely standing room only.

A few sound problems detract from what is otherwise a superb set. Guest appearances from Sam Brown and B.J. Cole add to an already impressive set up. Jules runs a gamut of material that swings from boogie woogie piano to blasts from his days with Squeeze. If this is folk Jim than it's not as we know it.

To be honest the crowd doesn't care. There are a good number that have bought tickets just for this performance and they are not going to be disappointed. As with his previous performance at Cambridge this is going to be one of the highlights.

Headlining has the advantage that you can be called back for an encore. Had he not been allowed one, then I think Cambridge might well have seen it's first lynching. Jules Holland And His Band were little short of scintillating. Jules' cheeky nature smoothed over the sound problems resulting in a set that will sit in the memory for a good time. Even those that could barely see the stage couldn't fail but be absorbed into the atmosphere.

The buzz carried on well into the night. As per normal music began popping up from different quarters in the campsites. Coldham's Common campers bundled onto the buses to take them back to their site.

The junkkulture crew and guests gathered around the tents for a few drinks before trying to get some sleep and starting again a few short hours later.

Saturday