There is nothing quite like the thrill of unexpectedly stumbling into a great gig you weren't counting on seeing. You can count on doing that many times over, late at night at Australia's premier folk festival.

After enjoying the National's superb opening concert to usher in the Easter long weekend in the capital, I was headed for the gate and my pillow at home.

But en route I passed the Flute 'n' Fiddle marquee and was stopped in my tracks by the weirdly wonderful vocals of Canadian songstress Lindi Ortega.

With an obsession for songs about death, this sassy and sexy gal with guitar was mesmerizing. She covered Johnny Cash with style and offered some amazing original compositions to her captivated audience.

That put me in the mood for more great music. So it was off to the Scrumpy bar where an amazing outfit called the Round Mountain Girls blew my socks off.

Looking more like the cast from Pirates of the Caribbean, and with not a single girl in the band's lineup, the Round Mountains Girls were described as a blend of bluegrass, Celtic and rock.

The front man played his banjo like Angus Young plays his Gibson SG and he looked and sang like Robert Plant. The fiddle player was on fire and the dude playing mandolin solos must have been on acid. This was heavy metal folk music and just perfect for the midnight hour.

But midnight was just the beginning. The Scrumpy went on to present the Ellis Collective, while other cool little tents around the village kept the buskers busy and the punters happy.

Who needs a pillow?