A Ramble Round Cherry Hinton

It was time to chill out to the blues, this time provided by John Primer. John is described as "the last of the traditionalists," an apt description. Here's a man that has served his apprenticeship with the likes of Muddy Waters and Magic Slim before breaking out on his own. His is the Chicago style of blues and he delivers it unadulterated.

And for me that's the problem. I can't deny that here was a set delivered by a highly talented guitarist, but it was hardly original. True it stood head and shoulders above the hundreds of pub blues bands that do the same sort of sets, but it was only really the quality that seperated it.

That aside, it seemed that a touch of blues was just what the doctor ordered. John Primer is a great guitarist. He has an undoubted feel for his instrument. His band provide excellent support and ultimately he is a crowd pleaser, but I felt I'd heard it before.

The crowd reaction to the material seemed to put me in a minority. Songs and solos were greeted were well received, he even managed to change a guitar string almost on the fly. His experience showed through, as he built up a good rapport with audience. When put in the balance, this was a set where the positive outweighed my reservations. That said I still couldn't help feeling he needed to put something into the mix to make it more his own.

Afro Celt Sound System, on the other hand, are a highly innovative outfit and they were up next. In band terms they are a huge outfit and the stage crew are hard pushed to set the stage on time, the wait is worth it.

Blending Celtic and African roots with dance backbeats, ACSS had the audience eating out of their palms. The core styles and their delivery are far enough apart to make the contrasts really striking. That feeling is only enhanced by the instrumentation. There are some similarities in instrumentation, but the difference in construction creates different sounds and atmospheres.

The dance backbeat is the glue that binds the two halves into a glorious unified whole. The audience was not only on it's feet but the majority of them were dancing as well. Like a bastard love child of Clannad and the Bhundu Boys ACSS produced a sound that hypnotised as well as captivated.

The combination of African rhythm and Celtic harmony is an erotic and exotic sound. It's one that gets under your skin and forces you to respond to the music. It wasn't coincidence that their c.d. shifted from the shelves of the on-site record shop at a high rate of knots.

The stage was reset, this time for duo Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill. Martin Hayes has been described as the greatest living Irish fiddler. If it's a banner that puts any additional weight around his shoulders, it doesn't show. Dennis Cahill, a fine guitarist in his own right, is along to provide the accompaniment. The pair work well together.

Cahill provides an excellent foil for Hayes to work around, with both taking an opportunity for a flight into fancy. Unfortunately, just as the set was just starting to kick in, I had to leave and do another interview.

By the time I managed to get back, the stage was already being set for the night's headliner Jackson Browne. Stage 1 was literally heaving. A quick glance into the side of stage area showed that there was little chance of getting in there either. Fortunately the backstage bar affords reasonably good hearing of Stage 1.

By sheer chance Fraser Nimmo happened to be in there. Both of us seemed in need of a pint so it was time to sit down for a good chat whilst waiting for the music to start.

To be honest, Jackson Browne seemed a little below par. I've seen him perform solo before, but for me he's better as part of a group. His songs are sharp and well written. When they hit the target they're directed at, you can expect a high casualty rate.

Jackson Browne is a songwriter par excellent. He has produced some great collaborations, most notably with John Truddell, but that night his performance lacked a certain something. As the set progressed there was a slight, but noticeable thinning of the crowd. It wasn't a bad set more that it failed to live up to expectations. One comment was that it was a tad self indulgent and maybe it was. I think the biggest problem was that it lacked sparkle. It went down well enough for an encore to be demanded.

This being Cambridge, an impromptu band formed in the bar and was up and running almost before the last note of Jackson's set died. There was time to meet up with the rest of the crew before heading back towards the tents and a bottle of whisky calling from Keith's bag.

Music carried on well into the night, but it was as much a night for good conversation as good sound. Eventually fatigue caught up along with the knowledge that there was more to come on the Sunday.

Sunday...