Last Saturday week the annual Cambridge Strawberry Fair - a free event that started thirty years ago - was on Midsummer Common. Being fond of music as I am, I signed up as a steward in the acoustic/beer tent. While it wasn't the most exciting job at the fair I did get to listen to some good bands before running into town to do some errands. Honorable mentions go to Flaming June, Rob Jackson, and The Broken Family Band.

Flaming June
These are a four piece with a sound like The Levellers or The Cranberries. Very fiddle based but a touch of gothic at the same time, I'm sorry I had to watch the crowd rather than them.

Rob Jackson
I'd already seen him play with another person singing but this time it was just him, a guitar, and his box of tricks. He doesn't so much play music as evoke a mood and his work comes across as a soundtrack to a film which has not been produced. If you like Sigur R?s you'll enjoy.

The Broken Family Band
They played another good gig with a fair amount of songs from their forthcoming album. Alt.country seems to be here to stay, even if the drummer still seems to wish he was in Slayer.