Hillbilly goth rockers entertained pirates and partygoers as hundreds took to the water on Saturday for the 'Big Tune Raft Up'.

Craft of every description rocked up to Paradise Lakes for the Volcanic party, with kayakers paddling past Seagulls, and jet-skiers jamming by yachts and fishing boats. Noodles, rubber rings, dinghys and a flotilla of floats drifted by, bearing those enjoying the revelry, rum and reggae.

Despite predictions of showers in the afternoon, the rain held off and the sun even made an appearance late-afternoon. By then, the party was just getting started with Chewstick band Ginger Ninja warming up the crowds ready for main act, New York rockers O'Death.

For Ginger Ninja's set, rapper Roddy (The Riddla) Nesbitt and sidekick Tan Zaoui sang 'Gods Are Battlin'', 'Lost Loved Ones' and 'Pack Racing' before a rendition of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' had everyone jumping. Band members Zack Marshall (guitar), Steven Himmelstein (bass), Harry Dunkley (drums) and Milton Raposo (keyboards) impressed not only with the music but in their ability to stay afloat atop of the 'barge' which formed the main stage. As for O'Death, you could not have had a bigger contrast in musical styles to reggae DJs Jules and Aswad, Colt 45 and the Harrington Sound crew, but the band somehow fit the surreality of the occasion perfectly, with fiddler Bob Pycior even inspiring cries of 'It's Titanic', 'I'm so cold...' from some inebriated swimmers in the water (which was actually quite warm).

This band – who are going to be huge by the way, had everyone rocking out with their punk/blues/folk/metal sound, inspired by artists such as Neil Young, The Pogues and The Pixies.

Vocalist and guitarist Greg Jamie, banjoist Gabe Darling, drummer David Rogers-Berry, bassist Jesse Newman and fiddler Bob gave a riotous, mesmerising performance, belting out songs Spider Home, Alehta, Only Daughter, Peshtigo, A Light That Does Not Dim, Down To Rest, plus a version of The Pixies' Nimrod's Son.

Explaining it was the band's first gig on water, Greg said: "The boat has been really great, it's a really cool idea. It was a little hard to be spot on all the time because we were moving, but it's been beautiful, we've loved being on the water and playing in such natural surroundings."

The Big Tune Raft Up – another smoking success from Volcanic.