Nordic Giants are the highlight of the Off The Tracks Spring Festival

Continuing the tradition of inviting musicians from around the globe, the main stage was a vibrant place today. Sura Susso Trio were the first band I caught, beautiful songs and sound. The Wishing Well featuring musicians from Australia, Scotland, Ireland and Spain blessed us with some gypsy-folk-rock. Baraka, again bringing multiple nationalities together, brought more upbeat African and Caribbean music to us. New Rope String Band brought great musicianship, superb comic timing and co-ordination to the stage and made us laugh out loud. Monster Ceilidh Band wooed us after the break followed by Leatherat and, headliners, The Christians all of which made for a fine day indeed.

Musical highlight of the festival though goes to Nordic Giants. In the barn stage late afternoon/early evening a series of award winning short films were showing. Providing a live soundtrack, the duo took our breath away with a hypnotic, powerful, intense, brooding experience. The masked pair left before the last film finished, leaving us agog and thrilled. Everything else was a bit flat for me after that... until Cabbage later on that night. They managed to pick me up and shake me around.

That is until it was time to close down the last P.A. and wander back to reality. The reality that I'd had a really exceptional weekend, made some new friends, re-acquainted myself with others, introduced someone new to the festival, discovered new bands, danced like I love to dance, let go of the outside world for a few, beautiful days. Ok, there were a few running order hitches, a few technical issues, the inclement weather, stealth security, a tent robbery and someone stretchered away during The Christians set, nobody is at fault for these. All you guys and gals, from Boz and Andy down, the sound guys, lighting, volunteers, stewards, cooks, bar staff, fixers and menders, MC's, all of you deserve a huge pat on the back. Thank you for helping to enhance and change lives.

This festival was dedicated to Jayne 'Patra' Cooper who passed away on Monday 23rd May 2011. Follow Off The Tracks on their Facebook page.

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