THE Bermuda Folk Club celebrated their 34th anniversary in fine fashion with an eclectric mix of local and foreign talent, writes Walter Brown.

Owen Burgess, the exuberant front man for the band Last Rights, was in rare form as he gave a solo performance on the didgeridoo (pictured). In an interactive set, Owen explained the natural process of how a didgeridoo is formed, which is basically a tree branch that has been hollowed out by termites.

The 'Scottish Sensation' Scott Neil gave a five-song set opening with Robyn Hitchcock's She Doesn't Exist Anymore, followed by Tears for Fears' Mad World. What better way to celebrate the club's anniversary than to debut original material and Scott was more than up to the task as he debuted his original song entitled Girl with the Dark Hair. Not one to disappoint his supporters, Scott gave a decent rendition of Suzanne Vega's Luka.

Scott's a consummate performer who isn't afraid to "play outside of the box". His acoustic of a Sex Pistols tune had the die-hard rockers in the house singing for all they were worth. For those who believe that folk music is dry and boring missed a prime opportunity to see and hear the cream of the crop dispel that myth.

The next pair of performers were no strangers to the stage as Val Wallace and Dennis Eldrige rattled off a string of original tunes. Three quarters of the way through their set Val relinquished the playing duties to seasoned strummer Dennis as she sang for the rest of their set, which included a song from her latest album. The duo definitely complemented each other and showed their humorous side, but when it comes to music they were all business.

Making a return to the Folk club was Mike Keats, whose nervous energy is nothing short of infectious as he ripped through a selection of songs including a spoofy song about road rage/driving on the wrong side the the road. Undeterred by a broken guitar string, the resourceful Keats simply switched guitars and finished his song. The final act needed no introduction as Last Rights rocked the house with a string of cover tunes from the 1980s and '90s. In a case of a bit of the old and a bit of the new, former Last Rights guitarist Eldridge joined drummer Jamie Petty, bassist Marc Burgess and frontman Owen Burgess to showcase their stuff.

It was some 20 years ago when Last Rights burst upon the local music scene when they were known as the Dischords and after a few changes the band were ready to seek their fortune in the entertainment world. Owen had cut his teeth at the Folk Club as many others had back in the '80s. The band had seen a few members come and go, which had changed the dynamics of the band and their trademark sound, but after a two-year hiatus and the acquisition of Rob Lansing the band have a tighter, punchier sound.

Dubbed the hardest working rock/reggae band on the club circui,t the band covered more than two decades' worth of material during their near two-hour-long set. Their mixed version of the Blues Travellers' Run Around and Tom Petty's Free Falling wasn't a bad offering and we can expect big things from Last Rights.

In a blast from the past, the band performed Santana's Black Magic Woman featuring Lansing on lead guitar, Eldridge on rhythm guitar and Owen Burgess on bass while his brother Marc sang lead vocals.

Lansing gave a jaw-dropping solo that was off the hook to say the least! Although the show got off later than advertised with the talent that graced the stage it was worth the wait, plus there was live taping which made the occasion a memorable one.

There have been past tapings for the participants to critique themselves or just have a keepsake. The next Folk Club show will be on July 1.

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