AS THE first chords sounded out across the glistening waters of Hull Marina, a cheer erupted from the crowd.
Ahead lay a full day of music celebrating Hull talent.
It was the start of the Humber Street Sesh, a moment thousands across the city had been waiting for.
The day featured 160 bands across ten stages and was visited by about 25,000 people.
"We wanted to reach out to all ages and get them out to watch the creative brilliance of the city," said organiser Mark Page.
"It's not just the music but the artists, painters, performers and graffiti artists.
"Everyone's come together and, hopefully, it will do some good."
Crowds continued to gather all afternoon as the sun beat down.
Families chalked their names on a wall for a street art project, teenagers danced in a silent disco and friends enjoyed a weekend beer in the afternoon sunshine.
Jennifer and Adam Smith had come along with their son Alastair, nine.
The family visited the inaugural Humber Street Sesh last year and said it was clear organisers had learnt from that experience.
"It's fantastic how much it's grown," said Jennifer, 27.
"Everything that goes on down here is just awesome and this area of the city is overlooked.
"We've had stuff like this going on for years and people still don't seem to know it exists."
The free festival is all about celebrating up-and-coming musical talent.
Mark said there was a wealth of ability in the city and a lack of outlets for it.
"The creative community of Hull came together and it was a day when we could celebrate the originality of the arts scene in the city," he said.
"Collectively, when we get together we're awesome. We proved that last year and we've proved it again.
"As a city, we need to get away from the Phoenix Nights tag we have and celebrate the talent we actually have here."
Young bands were a key part of the festival, with many given their first chance to perform in front of large crowds.
Richard Hobson has been playing gigs in Hull for years.
At the last Sesh, his group Turismo had a headline spot but this time he was on early with a new venture, Zebedee And The Heart Attacks.
Their sound draws heavily on ska.
"We had been working on a new project and a new sound for a while, and this was our first gig with it, so it was really important to us," Richard said.
"The Sesh has attracted people who wouldn't normally see this kind of music.
"It's a really good platform for younger bands who wouldn't normally get to play somewhere like this."
In the course of his career, Richard has seen major changes in Hull's music scene.
"I believe if we had been in any other city, like Manchester or London, we would have got a lot further as a band," he said.
"But at the moment, Hull is up-and- coming.
"When I first started there was nowhere to play but now there are lots and lots of places."
For Mark and the other organisers, it was the culmination of months of hard work.
He was forced to appeal for cash in June as sponsors failed to come forward, leaving a shortfall of about £20,000.
The Deep stepped in to donate a "significant amount of money" and save the festival from folding.
Colin Brown, CEO of The Deep, said: "Last year's Humber Street Sesh was an incredible success and we're more than happy to donate this funding and help to ensure the event can take place again this year.
"An event like this, which celebrates Hull's creative community, promotes tourism and will help with the regeneration of the Humber Dock area.
"It is very important for the city, especially when we are bidding to become the UK's City of Culture in 2017."
It all came together on the day and plans are already under way to make next year's festival even bigger.
But for musicians like Richard, once a year is just not enough.
"We should do it every weekend," he said.
"It's really good for Hull's arts scene and if Mark hadn't done it, it would never have happened. We should definitely keep it going and do it every year."
See dozens more pictures from the Humber Street Sesh here.