The Bermuda Folk Club continued to move from strength to strength as more up and amateur musicians showcased their material.

Canadian recording artist Lisa Cameron and friends expressed amazement at the calibre of the musicians who graced the stage.

Seasoned veterans Kevin Ingham and Joe Bento opened the show with a series of soft rock / pop cover tunes, including the Neil Young tune Four Strong Winds.

This duo boast more than three decades of experience as well as an impressive repertoire. Known for their interactive acoustic sets, Kevin and Joe delivered the goods in fine fashion.

A surprising addition to the already stellar line-up was the 'Scottish Sensation', Scott Neil, who has amassed a loyal fan-base during his tenure with the BFC.

Always one to push the envelope, he opened with Bob Marley's Redemption Song. Usually billed midway through the list of the performers, Neil has what it takes to be an opening performer. His next song was from another folk music hero, Bob Dylan, and decided to perform Knocking on Heaven's Door as a finisher.

Making his BFC debut was Matthew Johnson. Not much was known about this crooner but he put on a brief but entertaining set, opening with a song penned for a friend entitled Where Were You?.

His rendition of Irish Wild Rover wasn't half bad although it did leave some local attendees trying to figure out the song. It is often considered to be a drinking song rather than a temperance song. It has become very popular in Scotland and England.

In Britain, the song is especially popular with sports fans and has been adopted as the basis for many football chants. The song is a staple for artists performing live music in Irish pubs.

His closing number was Whiskey In the Dark, the traditional version, not to be confused with the testosterone-fuelled rendition by Metallica, which had the audience chipping in with the chorus.

The next trio, of Alan Dean, Mike MacPhee and Marcel Zettler, needed no introduction, having been a mainstay at the BFC. The trio are always entertaining and MacPhee showed his vocal prowess during The Indigo Girls' cover tune Closer to Fine.

Their rendition of Atlantic Blue was decent, to say the least, and this trio can rock the house and I can never grow tired of hearing them performing The Cranberries' smash hit Salvation. This trio bar none are a tough act to follow, but the next band were up to the task.

The BFC has been trying to shake off the image of where musicians come and play an acoustic set with genre-specific tunes. The band known as Raising Caine pulled out all stops as lead singer Jackie Ayres gave the audience what they wanted in a three-song set. Raising Caine comprise former Last Right's guitarist Dennis Eldridge and drummer Allan Perry, formerly of the Derelicts, and bassist Andy Brown.

The band eased through their opening number, Raising Caine, which was written for Ayres' son Caine. Surrender was a catchy, danceable tune and one attendee complimented the band on how well they gelled onstage.

Window Shopping was a high-energy tune as Eldridge enjoyed his moment in the spotlight with a blistering solo. To describe Perry as an intense drummer is an understatement as he was technically sound from start to finish. Ayres has performed with full bands in the past; including Last Rights when she debuted her hit Red Hot. Ayres has struck gold with her latest acquisition and has developed a trademark sound and is on the cusp of taking it to the next level.

The next duo seemed like an unlikely pairing but their styles complemented each other. Guitarist Bill Byron made a repeat appearance after a successful performance at last month's BFC show. Byron's performance of Nights in White Satin, featuring Stuart Hayward (on the recorder), was excellent. Byron and Hayward then launched into Wild Mountain Thyme, a Scottish song, before rounding out their set with Irene Goodnight or, as most people would know it, Goodnight Irene.

Usually the song is performed in 'three four time', similar to a waltz-like rythm, but with a bit of musical ingenuity Byron bumped it up to common time which is usually associated with rock and pop and of some folk genres.

As a bonus, he added a 'tag' (an extra chorus) which gave the audience a chance to sing along with Byron. Hayward's appearance in a musical capacity was a pleasant surprise and he has carved a new niche.

The featured performers gave a good set, although there was a bit of a lull between songs during their 90-minute set. Lisa Cameron and her hubby Vern MacDougall gave a good performance as well as a bit of a history lesson of life on Cape Breton. With two degrees, one diploma and years of waitressing and teaching jobs, Cameron finally went home to Cape Breton to start a music career. After growing up playing traditional music as a hobby, but at 34, Cameron has released her own country-folk material.

During her set she performed songs from her CD End of Blue, namely the song For Taylor which is written about her guitar, Cheap Lipstick, which was about how ladies' lipstick tends to come off on napkins and drinking glasses during an evening on the town.

Other tunes from the CD were Take My Time, Not This Time and The Life I Owned.

Listening to Cameron, her music definitely stays with you, even if you are not a lover of folk or country music. Cameron was over the moon with the array of talent that graced the stage and said: "The bands that were on earlier were great and it is good you have a place where people can come out and play and have a great time!"

In addition to the club's web site, they are now on Facebook and viewers can join or see pictures of past and present artists who have showcased their talents both at the Old Colony Club and at their present home, the Spanish Point Boat Club.

For more information on the club's next show, or if you are contemplating making your debut, you can email the Club at infofolkclub.bm or visit their web site: www.folkclub.bm.