And Saturday night at the Old Colony Club again proved to be an alternative to much of the music heard on the Island.

Three separate acts showed the depth of talent of this much-maligned group which gets together at least once a month.

Four club members entertained the audience as they started to arrive, then Neil Lewis interspersed his Welsh humour with his talents on the guitar and finally "In the Spot'' was Mike Cobb who feigned an ineptitude which failed to disguise his talent.

All three members made mention of the recent club "controversy'' over too much rock 'n' roll at the club. But there was little evidence of complaint among the 30 or so members who warmed to the acts on stage.

In fact folk music is all about getting involved and Cobb's performance had most people clapping and stamping their feet along with his renditions of popular songs.

That aspect of folk was evident with the first act which was originally billed as Kevin Dolan on his own, but Kevin had managed to pick up a couple of friends including fiddle player Paul Peabody from New York.

They had rehearsed together for an hour and then played for half an hour with songs including "The Mountain Dew,'' "Sweet Georgia Brown'' and "Rosewell Fair.'' Welshman Lewis stuck to his own compositions and some fancy guitar work but threw in a few dry stories to keep people amused.

Then it was Cobb, who gave the impression that he wasn't too sure about the whole thing, until he started singing and playing. His songs included "Cocaine,'' Tom Paxton's "Leavin' London,'' "San Francisco Bay Blues'' and the standard "Wild Rover.'' "Wild Rover'' and Simon and Garfunkel's "I'm A Rock'' had the audience singing along.

Vice President Paul Maccoy was the master of ceremonies for the evening. He said: "This is the first time we have an evening like this for a while.'' But the folk club does not just end when the final act finishes its set.

Most of the members then set off to the Hog Penny where Dolan and his friends were playing for customers.

Again the audience was mixed and joined in with the singing and clapping in this different setting.

It again proved that this type of scene is not just for bearded, beer-swilling men and long-haired women in woolly pullovers.

Folk is a real crossover music with many varieties and the Bermuda Folk Club can still be a perfect grounding for young talent on the Island.

It offers musicians a chance to stand up in front of an appreciative audience and sing and play, before moving on to bigger things.

However, many "bigger'' artists do not forget their folk roots and will still turn up at their local folk club because of the welcoming atmosphere.

The folkies meet again on May 7 when Andy Barrett is in the spot, with others in support. On May 24 there is a ceilidh, a great excuse to join in, and then on Bermuda Day the members will be off to Chaplin Bay for a barbecue.

ALAN WRIGHT.