Now they warned me that Bala would be very different from Cardiff. But how different could one Eisteddfod be from another? Very. Very different.

I drove into the town late last night, a five hour drive from Edinburgh having just tech'ed my stand up show, which opens on Wednesday night. Even by moonlight you sense the setting around Bala is special. And as the sun shone this morning, rather aptly for a Sunday, my suspicions were confirmed.

There is a familiarity about the place since the maes carry all the same tents and names as last year. But you only need to drive down the high street to feel the seclusion. The population of the town swells fourteen fold during this week. But my first day was bit glam I have to confess.

I interviewed Mark "snake-hips" Evans, winner of BBC's "Your Country Needs You", but more importantly winner of the disco dancing competition at the Eisteddfod eight years ago. I was also given an ad hoc singing lesson by the lovely Tim Rhys Evans from Only Men Allowed. (I was one man who was unfortunately not allowed).

Mark and Tim, alonside folk like Cerys Matthews, Bryn Terfel and Connie Fisher show that there is no better preparation for a life in the performing arts than at the Eisteddfod. Off to Bala town for dinner now. They said it was a one horse town...I haven't even seen that one horse yet.