The Festival Club is a crucial part of what makes SMF unique. At most other events, performers and audience alike head home afterwards. Not so at SMF: it's very difficult to get out of Orkney when the ferries and planes have all stopped for the night, so everyone is "trapped" here together till the morning! So most folk naturally gravitate to the Festival Club, a late-night folk/pop music session featuring a variety of (often local) bands in the Albert Hotel. The Club is frequently *very* busy, so much so that it can be difficult to get in the door! Getting in a round of drinks can be a serious challenge. But it's all worth it because the Club is an essential part of the atmosphere of SMF. Artists and punters intermingle, and the distinction between them gradually loses any significance as the drinking and dancing carry on into the evening.Last night's Club featured local band Liberty (see photo) who were very good indeed - not surprisingly given the pedigree of the local musicians involved. Tonight's band are the internationally-acclaimed Rock Salt and Nails from Shetland, described as a contemporary take on traditional Shetland music.
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