THE David Hall in South Petherton has a well deserved reputation for providing top class music at a small but well run venue and that same reputation was done no harm whatsoever with the welcome return for a fourth visit by the Peat Bog Faeries.

Introduced as ‘the best dance band there is anywhere’, few would argue as their infectious brand of fiddle and bagpipe based good time tuneage had the packed venue bouncing from first note to last.

Having played such gigs as the 20,000 plus Cropredy Folk Festival, 40,000 in Spain and three appearances at Glastonbury, the David Hall was a piece of cake and their enjoyment was infectious, even if the broad Shetland accents were completely unintelligible to all but a trained ear.

Fiddle player Ross Couper and pipes player Peter Morrison head up the band and the Celtic based high octane jigs soon seeped into the body and all attempts at avoiding dancing were futile.

Just occasionally an odd refrain or couple of notes brought thoughts of Pink Floyd riffs or hard rock basslines and at times the gig reached a height where the tunes would not have been out of place at an underground trance party – possibly the nearest the sleepy village has ever been to a rave!

After the thick end of two hours of bouncing the David Hall returned securely to its foundations but the Peat Bog Faeries’ music was still rattling around in the collective heads of those lucky enough to have been there on Saturday, before they moved on to play Sidmouth Folk Festival on Saturday.

They will always be welcomed back.

REVIEW: By Kerry Miller.