Frome offers a fine time at its inaugural Folk festival

Frome was a welcoming host to the hundreds of folk fans young, old and in-between who descended on the Somerset market town for two days of full-on folking. The organisers have chosen an ideal place to launch the latest addition to the festival calendar, and backed that up with a roster of fantastic folk acts.

As I checked into the Blue Boar Inn on Saturday the sun had not long cleared the yardarm but in the bar the session was already well underway. Half of the drinkers were in civvies the other half in Morris costume. The two groups merrily shared a drink, a song and a tune. I soon learnt this would be the way of things in Frome. Outside the Coop shoppers mixed easily with the Morris teams who performed in the precinct, as if this sort of thing happened all the time. The Griffin too was ramajam with musicians, punters and locals elbow to elbow enjoying the tasty beers brewed on site. At the end of the barroom fiddle, melodeon and flute kept the reels going round as pints and pints of 'The Usual', 'Beer' and festival special 'Folklore' were sunk.

Alongside the music the nearby Round Tower, and Masonic Hall adequately house various workshops and additional performances. Clearly there is plenty going on in Frome, posters pinned to the walls advertised gigs and sessions in the pubs and a fair few concerts at the town's main venue, the Cheese & Grain. This venue's prefab village hall appearance belies its history. Since 1875 it has been variously a covered marketplace, a factory and a community centre. Now soundproofed and made safe the building can hold the best part of a thousand people, enough to generate the atmosphere an indoor festival needs.

Using the Westway cinema as a second venue was inspired. A few hundred yards from the Cheese and Grain this old-school picture house's plush interior created an intimate feel, the theatre chairs are the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in at Festival. With the established, vibrant music scene and decent venues of a cosmopolitan town, but with country friendliness, Frome is an ideal town to host our newest Folk festival.

Over two long days between the two main stages there were forty plus acts, at sixty quid a ticket that's not bad value for money. On both days the entertainment kicked off just after nine in the morning and ran right through to eleven at night. Jamie Smith's Mabon paired with Spiers & Boden headlined Saturday night and a solo Steve Knightley took charge on Sunday. Under them on the bill were well known names like Jackie Oates, Bella Hardy, Ewan MacPherson, Kathryn Roberts And Sean Lakeman and Jim Moray to name but a few. With so many slots there was a chance to impress for lesser known acts like Gren Bartley, Gaz Brookfield or Winter Mountain - introduced by the festival's patron and Frome resident Cara Dillon.

A good time was had by all at Saturday lunchtime's Spiers & Boden Ceilidh. Cleared of chairs and tables the Cheese & Grain's floor was opened up to give people a chance to dance to many of duo’s popular tunes. The stomping 'Bold Sir Rylas' seemed a particular hit. Caller Phil Bassindale ably kept the Ceilidh under control, so the dancers stayed enthusiastic but in line, and the dance avoided becoming a free for all.

For the duo's headlining set on the Saturday night however the furniture was back, and in force. It was a good gig, but would have been more fun if you could do more than stand at the back and crane your neck or sit down and tap your toe without running the risk of a "shh" hissed at you by disgruntled folky-fogies. Belshazzars Feast two hour Saturday afternoon set in the Westway was an epic of musical skill and wry comedy which saw those super comfy seats in strong demand. At one point people were being turned away as the venue packed out to capacity. Jokes for cognesci and the common abounded as these two 'hairy bikers of folk' worked through their extensive back catalogue of traditional and less-than-traditional tunes Paul Sartin (fiddle) and Paul Hutchinson (accordion) had the crowd throwing shapes, laughing, clapping and singing along. With a shout of "Oh sod it!" the set came to an abrupt end partway through a rendition of the Penguin Café's famous 'Music for a Found Harmonium'. Brilliant festival entertainment.

The winners of the BBC Folk Award's 'Best Duo' Tim Edey & Brendan Power were also serious contenders for that title at Frome. With Brendan blowing a mean Mississippi saxophone, and beatboxing, whilst Tim went well beyond the call of duty on the guitar, the pair were an absolute treat to behold. A late cancellation meant they got two shows on Sunday, so those of us who drank too much of the 'Folklore' on Saturday and missed the morning show in the Cheese got another bite of the cherry in the evening at the Cinema. The set featured a cameo from Frome resident and former-Dr Feelgood frontman Pete Gage for a version of 'Harmonica Man' which was hilariously interrupted by interference on the PA from a mobile phone. The front row shifted nervously hoping it wasn't theirs, as the duo played on, but then a moment of realisation and Tim's jacket was removed from the back of his chair and taken off stage. It was far from slick but when they got going, boy the music was good. If there is a 'Party at the end of the World' I hope they're playing, it'll be smokin'.

Pilgrims Way Sunday afternoon show in the Cheese & Grain was a particular highlight. A set of stirring tunes, beautiful songs, a Rudyard Kipling anthem and in Lucy Wright gorgeous redheaded singer– it seems rude to ask for any more. Tom Kitching's bow flew and fingers danced as his fiddle let rip whilst mutli-instrumentalist Ed Beasant ably held the rollicking-bollocking tunes on guitar, squeezeboxes and harmonica. The two dudes bring a gritty attitude to their playing; perhaps the same attitude that saw them work their restored tar boat through Salford's frozen canals to tie up at the BBCs Folk Awards where they were in the ring for the 'Horizon Award'. They certainly are one to watch out for.

The Sunday afternoon idiom - two skilled chaps and a singer with red hair - continued with a marvellous main stage performance from Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston featuring Damien O'Kane. Miranda is familiar from her role as the the third person in duo Show of Hands but here seemed delighted to take the lead in her own show. Songs from the likes of Kate Rusby and Karine Polwart were just lovely, immersed in the bass her voice washed over me - it felt cleansing, almost spiritual. Then Damien made joke about a golfball stuck in a lady’s arse. Still he'd soon restored me to my previous reverie with his exceptional playing, so no harm done.

It fell to Show of Hands frontman Steve Knightley to close the Festival on Sunday night, his captivating solo show had the audience glued to their seats. It was all about the songs. In one modern day sheep rustlers on the A38 run the risk of a fine while in the next their predecessors face the noose back in 1803. The Boss in the folk scene he has a presence which fills the room even when singing unaccompanied or gently strumming the cautro, superb stagecraft. And he's one of the few Folk artists to actually talk about present issues in the lives of 'the folk.

I left Frome late on Sunday night having had a fine time at this Festival, and enjoyed my visit to a lovely town.

Complaints? It was a bit odd having suited security with a sniffer dog posted at the entrance to the Cheese and Grain's main hall, rather than the friendly face of a steward. The usual Festival baggage train of traders and caterers was rather lacking. Perhaps seeing the success of this year's event the local Council will let the Festival make better use of the car park which surrounds the Cheese, which was largely abandoned over the weekend, and could have provided many pitches.

The main gripe which I heard time and again was the seating arrangements in the Cheese and Grain on Saturday night. Acts like Steve Knightley or Chris Wood you can sit down and appreciate, in many ways they are best that way, but Mabon and Spiers and Boden really need the audience to get going to generate the atmosphere which makes their gigs great. All that really got going was a couple jigging self-consciously up the aisle like a bride and groom.

Overall the bill showcased a pleasing variety of acts from the folkie side of the tracks. Some fun, some serious but all were entertaining. The two main venues were decent. The beer was great. It was a bit cold for camping out but there was indoor camping, and there seemed enough hotels, B&Bs and Inns around and about the town to cope with the influx of people. The organisers have set a mid-February date for next year's festival and there's every reason to believe the event will return for another great weekend of serious folk music which doesn't take itself too seriously.

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