Mumford and Sons's impromptu jam draws Loopallu to a close

Saturday starts with hearty though possibly heart stopping breakfasts being taken at The Ceilidh Place. The pub has taken on an altogether different atmosphere from the night before, boozy Loopallu revellers replaced by the friendly and attentive waiting staff.

The mood in our posse is subdued. Last night some members pulled the cord and let rip a little too early. Others are muttering something about never meeting one's heroes as they review the photos on their mobile phones.

There's little time for reflection though, as the main stage is up and running again by midday. It is the wise festival goer who has risen early makes it along to see local band The Naked Strangers open the stage and perform their highly original and energetic punk influenced set. Why they are not further up the billing is a mystery.

Over the day the festival rumour mill shifts into fifth gear as reports of a celebrity fracas in one of the town's hotels start to circulate around the town. Festival rumours have a notorious tendency to take on a few bells and whistles, however, a cut down version alleges that a member of a well known Dundee band administered the Glasgow Kiss to a 'fan' who had taken exception to the popster's arrogant attitude. A rare unpleasant incident at this friendliest of festivals.

Back in the tent though, The French Wives, Grousebeater Sound System, and Polly & the Billets Doux are maintaining the high quality of the early acts in the billing. The Ullapool Highland Dancers inject a bit of poise and elegance into the proceedings with a demonstration of traditional dance steps backed by a techno Celtic fusion track.

The Dangleberries hail from the deep south west of Scotland and do covers of pop tunes with pipes, drums, kilts, Scotland replica rugby kit, and some very dodgy dancers. I can only suppose that this, along with their unsavoury moniker, goes down very well in those parts. According to one of their fans, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers stole their act. I've now seen both bands and can report that the Red Hot Chilli Pipers they ain't.

And so to the band many had been speculating about the most. The sense of anticipation grows as the stage is rebuilt, complete with rotating mirror balls and Hollywood style search spots. The Fratellis are taking a year out, but John Lawler (Jon Fratelli) is not resting and has formed Codeine Velvet Club in collaboration with Lou Hickey, an accomplished jazz vocalist. The glitz and glamour hit a spine tingling high as the band take the stage. Lawler in an immaculate, slim cut silver suit, and Hickey in a dress that knocks you dead from twenty paces.

Any worries about style over substance are blown away from the first chord right through to the wig-out , rock and roll, wham-bam ending. Although very reminiscent of the high reverb, John Barryesque sound of Last Shadow Puppets or The Divine Comedy, as a live piece of musical theatre this is the best and tightest act we're going to see over the whole weekend. Lawler's natural, poised and charismatic stagecraft are nothing short of mesmerizing. There's little interaction with the crowd as they cut between numbers with barely a few beats to spare, then suddenly they're gone and they don't come back. A smooth operation. Smooth as velvet in fact.

Fortunate then, for the next band Mumford & Sons that they are the most technically talented outfit here, and show how they have matured over the summer. Tonight they do what they do best which is acoustic folk influenced rock with faultless harmonies. These guys are the Beach Boys of folk. After the release of their forthcoming album we should be hearing a lot more about them.

The toughest job of the night falls to The Family Mahone to maintain this momentum through to the evening’s headline act. Between copious swigs from a bottle of something white and wine-shaped, DJ Mahone (a.k.a Radio 2's Mark Radcliffe) introduces a series of Pogues style "drinking songs" that are the band's trademark. It's done effectively and with a lot of appreciation from the crowd, however, this essentially intimate bar room act seems a bit lost on such a large stage. I'm regretting missing their fringe gig of last night.

Lots of coming and going of roadies and guitar techs precedes Lightning Seeds taking to the stage. The reason becomes clear early in the set as Ian Broudie's body language telegraphs his dissatisfaction with what's coming out of his amp. He never recovers from this and the set is lacklustre and proves to be the disappointment of the weekend for many.

Tipped off about "one to watch" we head to the Ferry Boat Inn to take the last remaining spaces in the jam packed bar to hear Glasgow singer songwriter Brendan Campbell's set. He names Bert Jansch and Davey Graham among his influences and it's no exaggeration to say his guitar work isn't far behind. That and his passion-filled vocals make him a surefire main stage contender for 2010, and not just at Loopallu.

Mumford and Sons have also heard the buzz (or did they create it?) and they show up and jam with Campbell, including a cover of 'All Along The Watchtower', complete with Hendrix style mandolin solo (no really) to make one of the most memorable festival moments of 2009 for those that were lucky enough to be there.

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