If a folk club is about anything then it’s about community, friendships and trust. It’s a place to gather every month to chat, share a beer and listen. A place where friends old and new are always welcome.

JIMMY ALDRIDGE AND SID GOLDSMITH have played here before, of course. About a year ago. They were supporting then but felt like the main act. Then they were assured and smart, wonderful songs tumbling, ramshackle from the stage. They were warm and welcoming, honest and real. Tonight they will be all of these things and plenty more too.

But first there's KITTY MACFARLANE. 22-years old with Laurel Canyon looks. All sun splashed blonde and sparkling teeth. She looks a little bemused. Is this down to her recent relocation from Somerset to Bristol? Or the hushed reverence that her short set is held in? Her songs are firmly rooted in a place. If the likes of Bella Hardy and Jackie Oates reflect their own corners of this island, so Kitty Macfarlane sings of Somerset and the Bristol Channel, she sings of nature and birds, time and tide. And it's beautiful. Even when she bravely tilts at Tim Buckley's 'Song to the Siren' she doesn't take a false step. It's less other-worldly, more earth-bound, than the original, but has grass beneath its feet rather than fairies in its hair. Another support act destined for headline status? Without a doubt. There are moments when her lyrics betray her youth, sometimes it’s too wide-eyed, too naive... but she is an absolute delight and we are bound to hear much more from her.

And so this is where we came in. Jimmy & Sid; warm and humble, affable and amiable. They are a proper "Folk Club" act. No pretentions, no delusions of grandeur, no "rock star” posing. Just fantastic musicians playing brilliant songs to a crowd that hangs on every moment.

Photo: Chris Dobson

There’s something about two people who clearly know each other ridiculously well harmonising and playing together. There’s the sound of the banjo and guitar becoming way more than the sum of their parts. Likewise the voices, that alone sound ordinary, become extraordinary when put together. On the a capella opening of 'Hold the Lantern High', the duo remind us all exactly why it is that Downend Folk Club were desperate to see them again. It’s the voices. Robust and earthy; they are true storytellers opening their hearts. Better still is the short set of instrumentals that follows; culled from places as diverse as Norfolk and the Appalachians, they are wonderfully dynamic.

In true "Folk Club" fashion, though, Jimmy and Sid are at their very best when they reveal their social conscience. A version of the Ron Angel classic 'The Chemical Worker’s Song' is full of fire with a cracking chorus, as is their own 'Moving On', a brilliant modern folk song about social housing in London, that has a sense of purpose and place.

As great as these songs are it is at the end of the second set when everything comes together in a delightfully satisfying way. 'Night Hours' is a new song from their forthcoming album. It drifts beautifully, echoing those calm moments of a cityscape at night. This is followed by the only love song of the night, 'Let the Wind Blow High or Low', and then a terrific version of Chris Wood's 'The Cottager’s Reply'. It’s yet another song that follows the theme of the evening; that a sense of community and place are vital to us all.

The community of Downend took Jimmy and Sid to their hearts once more and welcomed Kitty Macfarlane too. We will see them all again soon.

- Gavin McNamara, DFC regular