Friday
Everyone seems to be having a fantastic time, which is what it's all about. I nip out to catch Nick Elliott's book signing; he's launched a book of photographs from the festival, "Ten A Decade In Images" at this year's event and is signing the front sheets, on sold copies, which will then be inserted into the finished items, making everyone truly unique.
The rush is on to get back to the Mainstage and Frank Turner. Frank has been described as 'Billy Bragg with melody' which is more than a little unfair on both artists. The thing that does connect them is the willingness to include social politics in their songs.
Frank has brought a band with him and all of them are about to burn some calories as they deliver one of the most animated sets I think I've ever seen in all the years I've been coming. There's a lot of rock 'n' roll attitude, standing on speakers, leaping about and generally having a good time, which is mirrored by everyone in the crowd.
Frank Turner has attitude, he's not going to take anything lying down, if something is wrong, he's prepared to say it and let's be honest, there's an awful lot wrong at the moment so he's got plenty of material to work with, but this isn't a political rally, it's what is rapidly turning out to be the set of the festival, with two and a half days still to go.
Frank's from my neck of the woods, so when he plays "Wessex Boy", I'm so vain, I probably think this song is about me, I know it's not, but there's a certain amount of shared knowledge there. Like most of the audience, I watch this set in a real state of rapture. I've gradually worked my way to the back so that I can bolt across to the Club Tent as soon as the last note fades so I can catch Katriona Gilmore and Jamie Roberts, the current Fatea band/duo of the year, performing their Showcase.
It's been quite a year for the duo, nominated for the Radio Two Horizon Award, winners of The Hancock for the best original song and in demand for an awful lot of session work, none of which detracts from them being one heck of a talented duo.
For a duo that only use two guitars, lap and acoustic (Jamie), fiddle and mandolin (Kat) they play a whole host of different songs and tunes in such varied style, within that folk spectrum. Both are excellent singers which also gives them so many different ways of doing songs.
"Fleetwood Fair" is the song that won them the Hancock, it comes from the band's second album "Up From The Deep" and really is a stunning modern ghost story, well the song is modern, but it all has such a timeless feel to it. Ghost stories seem to be a speciality for them, but it's also the personal songs they really get across so well.
They are a band that's it's very easy to find yourself being absorbed by. They always seem to get you listening to the parts of the song you need to focus on. A lot of their songs are story songs and they carefully steer you though the tale. Folk often has a darker side, much of Gilmore Roberts self penned material flirts with that dark side. Then you realise you rea not just being captivated by the songs, the tunes have sneaked up on you as well.
Before I know it, they're playing their last number, that surely can't have been forty minutes ref.
Next up at The Club Tent and surprisingly early for Friday, he normally closes the Club Tent, is Brian McNeill. The early start has done nothing to dampen down his larger than life attitude. Brian likes his audience participation.
He pretty much goes from sound check to having the audience singing along in seconds. A multi-instrumentalist and raconteur, his between song banter is pretty much second to none and is more than matched by his playing.
His enthusiasm gets the better of him and whilst illustrating a story explaining how a drinking song came about, he gives the strings on his bouzouki one hell of a bash.
It's probably no coincidence that during the song one of the strings goes. Unperturbed, he simply hands the instrument off stage and finishes the song accapella style, with audience participation in the chorus.
Brian's set covers a range of issues close to his heart, Scots history, including the great migrations, trade unionism, and the human spirit. Geography, history, humanities as well as great entertainment,