Friday
There is a definite sense of anticipation on the site.
The next artist up is Richard Thompson. There have been all sorts of rumours
around the site about how many guest stars he's going to have playing with
him.
There is some truth to the rumour mill as confirmed by the appearance of
two microphones on the stage. It's just a case of who and how many.
Richard
comes out to huge applause. The lighting is fantastic from the fans point of
view. Stage smoke, subtly done and backlit. Really atmospheric and a
photographers nightmare because it's almost impossible to get a clean
image.
Most of
the crowd aren't here for pictures; they're here for the music. Accept that it
looks great and move on, besides we got some good pics at the Mojo
Interview.
Richard Thompson has such presence. All he has to do is stand
there, sing and play guitar and he just commands the stage.
There's a fair
chunk of the audience that seems to know every line of every song, it may be a
different chunk, but the effect is the same.
The effect to the call response
section of the songs is amongst the best I've heard. After the first three
numbers are over we drop out of the press pit and move away to listen from
elsewhere.
As the set draws towards the end, Christine Collister joins
Richard on stage for the different and unexpected finale.
I scoot off the
Club Tent for what must be one of the strongest closing line ups in a very long
time. Kris Drever, Brian McNeill, Uiscedwr and Waking The Witch.
I'm too late
for Kris Drever, the legend that is Brian McNeill has already taken to the
stage. He's telling this story about a drinking song that he'd written about
drinking on a Sunday and how it had brought a Minister to his house to tell him
that he was on his way to the burny fire.
Brian's set is delivered to a
highly appreciative audience. If you've never seen Brian perform (And why not?)
He really loves the song writing tradition, plays fantastically and has such
wit. Billy Connolly came from the folk tradition and then moved to comedy. Brian
stayed with folk music, but these days as least is funnier.
During the change
over I manage to grab a quick chat with one of the guys from the PRS. In a very
short time the conversation has ranged everywhere, almost inevitably getting
around to digital rights. The PRS are an organisation that do an awful lot for young musicians and they seem to be doing their best
to catch up with the fast moving worlds of new media.