Tucked away in the heart of Leicester in the grounds of the De Montfort hall, the Big Session festival is a surprisingly compact festival with a very big heart. The music is spread over three stages, one large indoor one, a big top and the Orange Tree stage in the large beer tent.

Friday 18 June 2010

Big Top - 6 day riot, Ray Cooper a.k.a Chopper, Ian King, Chris Wood, Lucy Ward, The Rockingbirds
Indoor Main Stage - Julian Gaskell and his Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, John Smith, Cara Dillon, The Proclaimers
Orange Tree Stage - Refuge, Alexia Chellun, Jess Morgan, Joel Owen, Father Hen, Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo

Saturday 19 June 2010

Big Top - Blair Dunlop, Moulettes, One String Loose, Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls, Holy Bandits, Whapweasel, Dreadzone
Indoor Main Stage- Tyde, Damien O'Kane, Nancy Elizabeth, Chumbawamba, Stornoway, Kate Rusby
Orange Tree Stage - Pam Thompson, Saraa Rain, Rob Miller, Alan Prosser & The Ranelagh Renegades, Yellowbelly, Gren Bartley & Tom Kitching, Gregg Cave & The Village Hall Band, Black Rat, Warblefly, The Penny Black Remed

Sunday 20 June 2010

Big Top - Moulton Morris, Kerfuffle, Will Pound & Dan Walsh, James Findlay, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Jackie Oates
Indoor Main Stage - Megson, Dervish, Oysterband
Orange Tree Stage - Timothy Grayson, Apocraphe, Michael Frearson, Twisted Routes, Ash Mandrake, Pog, Woodstock

Big Top - Blair Dunlop, Moulettes, One String Loose, Miles Hunt & Erica Nockalls, Holy Bandits, Whapweasel, Dreadzone
Indoor Main Stage- Tyde, Damien O'Kane, Nancy Elizabeth, Chumbawamba, Stornoway, Kate Rusby
Orange Tree Stage - Pam Thompson, Saraa Rain, Rob Miller, Alan Prosser & The Ranelagh Renegades, Yellowbelly, Gren Bartley & Tom Kitching, Gregg Cave & The Village Hall Band, Black Rat, Warblefly, The Penny Black Remed

The Moulettes - 'Featured in their orchestra are a cello, a bassoon, guitars, violin, viola, autoharp, kazoo, drums and 5-part harmonies.' barely scratches the surface of the sounds they conjure. Foot stomping folk infused rhythms got us all excited, a band to keep an eye on. www.myspace.com/moulettes

Yellowbelly

Damien O'Kane

Nancy Elizabeth - The intimacy and muted lighting of the indoor stage was perfectly suited to the ethereal and dreamlike songs of Nancy Elizabeth who kept the audience captivated with her haunting voice and bewitching lyrics, we found it hard to drag ourselves away...

Holy Bandits is one of Oysterband's most enduring albums and the boys performed the whole thing in the big top. Bigger, better and grittier everytime you hear it.

Chumbawamba - the wonderful harmonies and melodies of Chumba sounded great in the de Montfort Hall indoor stage, El Fusilado was particularly sweet. Their straw poll of hands raised for and against the Maggie Thatcher produced the predictable result and their song from the In Memoriam, Margaret Thatcher EP went down a treat. We have a video interview with Jude which will be online in the next few days

Stornoway demonstrated why there is such a buzz about them at the moment- video interview coming soon

Dreadzone - The Big Top was rammed as Saturday night headliners Dreadzone took to the stage. The chilly weather was soon forgotten as the audience shouted a resounding 'yes!' in answer to MC Spee's question 'Who wants some old school reggae bass lines?'. The festival goers cavorted to old favourites such as 'Little Britain' and banging new tunes like 'Gangster', recently remixed by dubstep producer Trolley Snatcha and now a major hit on youtube.

Big Top - Moulton Morris, Kerfuffle, Will Pound & Dan Walsh, James Findlay, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Jackie Oates
Indoor Main Stage - Megson, Dervish, Oysterband
Orange Tree Stage - Timothy Grayson, Apocraphe, Michael Frearson, Twisted Routes, Ash Mandrake, Pog,

Kerfuffle were surprised that they drew such a big crowd in the Big Top at midday on Sunday. Kerfuffle are such an exciting act who have been a huge part of the continuing tradition of folk music over the last few years. The fact that they are all going their separate ways after this summer season is a great shame, Shrewsbury Festival will be their last performance in this line up (Luckily they wil do another Christmas tour). Their rendition of Phil Beers Falmouth Packet went down a storm with Hannah on the clogs.

Megson - Despite the long awaited arrival of the sunshine, the indoor stage drew an impressive crowd eager to see Megson play an intimate and accomplished performance of their established material, as well as songs from their new album 'The Longshot'. Switching between the beautifully sang slower numbers led by Deb's honeyed tones to the more rousing tunes driven by Stu's energy on the guitar, Megson delivered yet another accomplished show.

Pog's energetic punky ska on the Orange Tree stage certainly perked up sleepy drinkers in the warm afternoon. Double bass and frenzied drumming combined with Paul Stapleton's pertinent lyrics treated the punters to a taste of something a little bit different apart from the numerous ales and ciders on offer.

Jackie Oates has managed to retain her youthful vulnerability allied with a huge well of talent that makes her such a mesmerising performer. Her touring band really open up her sound and make the latest material sound incredible.

Oysterband closed the weekend with their gig in the indoor hall,which was of course rammed to the rafters with sweaty but very happy festival goers. The Big Session was their brain child, their presence here is integral to the weekend and their performance confirms their position of one of the very best folk rock bands ever.

All too soon it's over, time to take the tents down and leave. It was a dizzy weekend of wonderful music, poetry, family fun and great food and drink. Roll on Big Session 2011!

www.bigsessionfestival.com