The Big Session 2010 - How was it for you?

Acoustic and folky music seems to be on the up at the moment, with at least one open mic night somewhere in Leicestershire on every day of the week and names such as Mumford and Sons, the Fleet Foxes and Megson cropping up across the popular press.

This newfound appreciation of the rootsier side of music means that De Montfort Hall’s respected Big Session festival now seems more relevant than ever. This year was no exception, with three stages featuring artistes from across the spectrum of acoustic music; from breakthrough talent like Jess Morgan and Alexia Chellun to the old guard represented by the Proclaimers and the evergreen Oysterband, there’s something to capture everyone’s attention.

The Big Session is unusual as a festival in that the site itself is quite compact. You can walk between the stages in a couple of minutes, weaving your way between vendors of bizarre hats, strange and tempting food stalls and members of the crowd and families simply crashed out on the lawn by the tepee and enjoying the sun. The whole event feels more homely and intimate than most larger festivals, something that’s in keeping with the friendly and informal manner of the performers.

This year, newcomers and the uninitiated could graduate from the great new talent and overwhelming real ale bar of the Orange Tree stage, through the well established acts in the circus tent, and finally end up nodding away happily to the headliners on the indoor stage that evening. Even though Saturday was clearly the day when the most well known acts were scheduled, Friday and Sunday had something to offer to the intrepid connoisseur. The balance and variety of musicians was spot on, and granted those with a newfound love of acoustic music a great opportunity to expand the breadth of their knowledge into uncharted waters.

The Big Session is one of those festivals where the movement of the crowd and the compact environment means that if there’s going to be a truly memorable moment the chance are you’ll see it – at Glastonbury you’d probably be three miles away and trying to unstick your left wellie from a swamp. This year’s highlights included breathtaking performances from Jess Morgan and Alexia Chellun, the Proclaimers rocking out and captivating the crowd on the main stage, and Cara Dillon performing with such grace and emotion that she rendered the entire hall silent. Megson were their usual bouncy and friendly selves and deservedly made a lot of new friends, and Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman bowled over the crowd with the power and panache that’s become their hallmark.

The only shadow on the weekend came in the form of a load of sweaty men kicking around a jumped-up pig’s bladder on the Friday evening. Yup, the World Cup happened to coincide this year and so the cheers from the bar during tended to spill over in the indoor stage. This was noticeable in Cara’s set, but she jokingly told the crowd that it made her feel like she was playing in an arena so no real harm was done. We did notice that attendance for the headline acts seemed to be lower than you’d expect as a result, which suggests that sports and music still don’t mix. Regardless, that’s just a tiny criticism of an otherwise great event. Make sure you catch it next year, and come and say hello if you see us wandering around!