Friday

Hazmat Modine are an octet that hail from New York, but owe much of their sound to another new, New Orleans. Resplendent with a brass section that includes a sousaphone as a featured instrument as well as a claviola, think a piano crossbred with a clarinet.

The lead vocalist and gob iron player, is a real pocket rocket showman, heading all over the stage and climbing on chairs etc. The sound whilst blues and jazz based, also takes in the likes of the waltz.

They also manage to achieve that rare festival achievement of an encore, one of the advantages of starting slightly early.

From one large and loud group to another, with a very different approach in style, but no less determination to get out there and have some fun, Cornwall's Fishman's Friends.

I was fortunate enough to be at this year's Folk Awards when the group made their comeback, following the tragic death of band member Trevor Grills and manager Paul McMullen, the spontaneous ovation that greeted them testament to the warm affection that this group of genuine friends, fisherman, lifeboat man or coastguard all, have built up over the years with their accapella singing, very occasionally accompanied by sparse instrumentation.

This being a family festival and a mid-afternoon performance the repertoire was toned down just a little to suit, but there was more than the odd subtle reference, enough to get the parents laughing and the young children looking bemused. I'm sure there were a few parents hoping that they didn't have to explain why the word clap was so funny. Context is a wonderful thing.

As well as digging into their shanties old and new, Fisherman's Friends got the whole audience singing along to a rousing version of Happy Birthday to Cambridge Folk Festival. (Interestingly it turns out the song may not have been in copyright after all and there may be some refunds due from the publishers.)

The Port Isaac boys are definitely back with good humour, mixed in with the occasional shanty that reminds us that fishing and working on the sea, can be a dangerous game. I really enjoyed the set, it's good to have Fisherman's Friends back, but there is something about their later in the day sets that seem to tell it more like it is.

Time to take the second Stage 1 to Stage 2 dash of the festival and an opportunity to increase the step count.

Husband and wife duo, Michael Weston King and Lou Dalgleish, better known as My Darling Clementine, released an album last year, "The Reconciliation?", which really allowed the band to explore some of the accesses of the country genre, though with tongue more than occasionally in cheek and never without letting you realise just how close to their hearts they hold the music.

In many ways, this was more of a show than a set. Lou is also an actress and that has been used to build an element of theatre into the performance. Together with the band the duo has built around them, they went about building a set that was both entertaining and superbly performed. When you've got strong songs and a great narrative, adding in a few good moves and the banter, really means you're going to end up with something special.

It's funny how festivals work out, last year, I seem to have spent more time at the Den, but it was four o'clock on the Friday before I got there this year. The bigger size of the venue works well, there are lots of people there, many of whome look like they've an intent to be there for the day, great reward and really pleasing for the up and coming artists the venue was launched for.

Bridie Jackson & The Arbour are a band from the North East that I've been privileged enough to have seen build their way up through a series of great releases and heard through radio appearances, but until now, had never managed to catch in the live environment, an area which has contributed significantly to their rise and it's easy to see and hear why.

There is something honest and trusting about the North East accent, it's one of the reasons why there are so many call centres there, and Bridie Jackson's has a particularly ear catching lilt, which is one of the reasons it's so easy to immerse yourself into her songs, because it's easy to believe them. If she's singing a song about hurt and pain, you know there's hurt and pain there.

Just having a great voice is never enough, just as being a great songwriter isn't, the ability to pull all the threads into a great performance is what really counts and by those standards, Bridie Jackson is a great weaver. She's aided and abetted in that task by a trio of top female musicians who lay down the backdrop for her to perform against, go see her.

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