Saturday 4

It was time to head back to Stage One for a very unexpected performance. Dixie Hummingbirds had flight problems. Unfortunately they weren’t just running late, they weren’t going to make it at all today.

A substitute was required and the fortunate thing about Cambridge is that there are an awful lot of musicians kicking around. Who to go for, maybe one of the acts from Thursday, NO I.D or Thea Gilmore. Ron Kavana is still on site, maybe give him a go. The dice are thrown, the choice is made Old Crow Medicine Show, who just turned up with Gillian Welch, to see what the festival is about are going to be make a Stage One debut.

It’s a logical choice, one Southern States Band replacing another and as I’d seen before, these guys really do know their stuff. It’s been said that success is a combination of talent and luck. Today Old Crow Medicine Show were in the right place at the right time.

The band are joined on stage by David Rawlins, producer of their EMI album. O.C.M.S., who augments the line up with an additional banjo.

To a degree he looks out of place. Old Crow Medicine Show look the part. These guys live and breathe bluegrass. The bass player imparticular could be from anytime from the 1920s until now. It’s easy to believe that as a hobby he runs moonshine into dry counties.

The band are playing a healthy mix of pure bluegrass, old timey and even a little bit of swing. Even the weather is playing into their hands. It’s hotter and less humid than yesterday, which not only added to the atmosphere, but also made it easier to keep the instruments in tune.

Old Crow Medicine Show took full advantage of the opportunity presented to them. They showcased themselves to an audience that weren’t expecting to see them and did it very well.

This was bluegrass playing from the top draw. Lively, dynamic, full of texture and rhythm. Plenty of opportunities to get on your feet and dancing followed by a couple of songs and tunes that seemed designed to allow you to get your breath back.

The band performed tight to each other, so even visually, everything appeared right as well as sounding right. All in all a pretty good performance.

The stage is reset, whilst that’s happening there’s time to take on some liquid. It’s also a chance to get an update on the Dixie Hummingbirds. They will definitely be here in time for their performance tomorrow.

It’s time for the Queen of the Squeezebox, aka Sharon Shannon to take to the stage. She’s joined by her sister and another musician whose name I manage to miss due to someone shouting a request in my ear, and she’s barely started.

When I first heard Sharon, you could say that she had a pure Irish/Scottish sound. As her tunes progressed you could definitely pick up other influences in there, French/Cajun, gypsy and even Iberia. Whilst the people who were right up against the barrier contented themselves with bobbing up and down, people further back were definitely up for a dance.

I’ve got to leave partway through Sharon’s set to see Mindy Smith. Having seen Mindy on the cavernous Stage One, I wanted to see how she would perform in the far more intimate setting of the club tent.

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