You never know what to expect on any given night at the Bermuda Folk Club, as the final club event of the year demonstrated. Two delightful young violinists started the evening off in fine style and were later followed by a mandolin player performing a reggae tune. But that wasn’t all, because Saturday also brought what is surely a Bermuda Folk Club first — an uncensored version of a risqué Snoop Dogg song.

An unexpectedly balmy evening allowed the night of music to be held outdoors on the shell stage behind the Spanish Point Boat Club. Two young violinists from Somersfield Academy, Camille Lesage and Aisling Homan, along with Bermuda School of Music’s Jen Sheridan got things off to a delightful start with a number of reels, including ‘Drowsy Maggie’, ‘Chicago Reel’, and ‘Boil the Cabbages’.

It was fitting that young musicians should open the annual Paul Gibbons Memorial Night which honours the late club president and each year raises funds to support a young Bermudian musician.

Following on from the violinists, guitarist and singer Michael Cacy was joined by mandolin player Barry Freeman for a short set, which featured a cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.’ Mr Cacy at times evoked the rich vocal delivery of Neil Young. He was equally on song with James Taylor’s ‘Bartender’s Blues.’

Mike Davis, the second of the evening’s three ‘Mikes’ then took to the stage. Comfortable and at ease with crisp guitar playing, he had chosen his songs well and did justice to the Zac Brown Band’s ‘Cold Weather’, Rodney Crowell’s ‘Earthbound’ and Ryan Adams’ ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’.

The Mike-theme continued as Mike Keats opened with a version of George Harrison’s ‘Here Comes The Sun’. The song was one often played by the late Mr Gibbons.

Mr Keats was joined by the mandolin player Mr Freeman and covered the late Lou Reed’s ‘Walk On The Wild Side’, which was well received. It was then time to depart from the typical folk music idiom with one of the most unexpected moments of the night. With only adults in the audience (he carefully checked), Mr Keats belted out a cover of Snoop Dogg’s ‘B*****s Ain’t S**t’. It was a risk, but it worked.

Club stalwart Peter Haynes didn’t have any Snoop Dogg delights up his sleeve, but he didn’t need them. His set, which included Rod Stewart’s ‘Reason To Believe’ and Buddy Holly’s ‘Learning the Game’, soon had things rocking along. Having borrowed Mr Cacy’s guitar after breaking a string on his own, Mr Haynes nailed a near perfect rendition of Ralph McTell’s ‘Streets of London’ and ended with the rousing folk classic ‘Wild Rover,’ which had many in the audience joining in.

The final section of the night was led out by Mr Cacy and Mr Freeman once more, performing ‘Ode to Nea’, a song incorporating words written by Tom Moore in Bermuda in 1804.

To end the night a jam band featuring Mr Freeman, Mr Cacy, Mr Davis and Jeffery Marshall launched into a powerful set that included Ray Willie Hubbard’s ‘Redneck Mother’.

Mr Davis then made way as Mr Keats joined the jam band, singing Jerry Jeff Walker’s ‘I Like My Women On The Trashy Side’, before Mr Freeman led the group into a reggae tune on his mandolin.

There was just enough time for a rousing cover of The Band’s ‘The Weight’ before the Folk Club wrapped up its 2013 season.