For all the lyin', cheatin' and cryin', country music has generally been an equal-opportunities genre when it comes to women singing about their troubles as well as men. The focus of this year's Summertyne Americana festival was Honky Tonk Angels, a celebration of female artists presented by country diva and radio host Elizabeth Cook. The concept was halfway between a roadhouse concert and a chat show, alternating sofa discussion with performers including Cook herself, whose breakthrough hit was Sometimes It Takes Balls to Be a Woman.

Young Tyneside singer Hannah Rickard spoke of the ridicule that accompanies wearing cowboy boots to school in Newcastle. But the highlight was the appearance of original country queen Jan Howard, in startlingly good voice for a woman in her 80s, and happy to reminisce about squaring up to Patsy Cline in the ladies room at the Grand Ol' Opry. She also revealed that her separation from her husband, the legendary songwriter Harlan Howard, was motivated by religious differences: "He thought he was God and I disagreed."

Among the other festival highlights, Texan singer-songwriter Brennan Leigh dresses like a county librarian but has a snappishly literate way with words. Larkin Poe is what remains of bluegrass prodigies the Lovell Sisters after the eldest decided to go to college. The continuing pair, Megan and Rebecca, have since become a lot louder, adding screaming electric steel and whisky-soaked harmonies to the mix – the Allman Sisters, perhaps?

The David Wax Museum were busy, appearing three times in one day, including a morning boat cruise along the Tyne. The band's Ry Cooderish combination of Mexican folk and classic roots styles is truly joyous; for agreeable surrealism, few things beat a woman whacking a donkey's jawbone while the rusting hulks of heavy industry slide by.

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