Author: blueestai

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Festival Folk Music

Looking Back Before Looking Forward: Derby Folk Festival 2018

A bit of street morris

It’s been a little while and Derby Folk Festival 2018 has come and gone.. in fact, as of writing it is 2019 and there is a new year ahead!

We are pretty certain plans are under way for the next festival in October 2019, but in case you didn’t go last year.. let us give you our impressions of some of the goings on, the standout performances and general feel of this late year musical mixup. We couldn’t catch everyone, so apologies if we miss your favourite group out! There will be pictures and a few clips to give you a feel and hopefully get you excited about the return to Derby in 2019!

Last year the festival spread it’s wings a little more and has extended the festival to run from Thursday evening to Sunday. We could not get there for the Thursday, but we do hear that Gary Stewart’s “Graceland” and Zulu Tradition were extensively rocking the main festival tent. We can’t speak for Zulu Tradition as alas we have not witnessed them yet, but the “Graceland” set is a very good one. We saw Gary Stewart’s Graceland at Beardy Folk earlier in the year and they sound very, very like Paul Simon. They have the bustling energy you are looking for in bucket loads and for anyone wanting to relive the time of the album launch (or anyone new for that matter) they are indeed in for a treat of the ears by seeing them live, so we strongly recommend.

So let us start with some of the acts that got our attention.

John Tams & Barry Coupe

https://www.johntams.co.uk/

A treat near the beginning of the festival, always a treat, is to hear John Tams & Barry Coope. Bringing a significant wealth of experience and poignancy to the beginning of the festival, this duo are clearly old favourites of the crowd. With pointed, emotive numbers such as a rendition of the “Manchester Rambler” (an ode which puts the highest amount of importance on this activity other all others… including marriage), the song “Sorrow” with it’s eye on loss in society and (presumably) unemployment, and also the “Devonshire Carol” (as heard in Warhorse) they bring a tear to the stanchest and toughest of people. A set that is quiet and dwells in the heart, we recommend catching these two if you get the chance.

Louise Jordan

http://louisejordan.co.uk/

It isn’t just Barry Coupes & John Tams whose music crosses into war-related music and stories. Luckily for us Louise Jordan arrives at the Guildhall Theatre with her trademark sense of class and humility, and most importantly with her excellent show/gig called “No Petticoats Here.” We have been looking forward to seeing Ms Jordan and her show every since the Great British Folk Festival we went to in 2017. We attempted to see her show in Skegness but due to the numbers, small size of the room, queuing difficulties and acoustics.. we couldn’t really say much about it. At the time of writing we are pretty certain she is working on her new show but if it is anything like the beautiful interlace of historical story, song and images we see in Derby, then we have high hopes indeed.

Conjuring up thoughts of the great war, Jordan does the job that everybody should have been asking her to do. That is bringing the voices of great women and their experiences to us to remember that we “were all in it” during the war. She certainly does and the show more often than not highlights some incredible sacrifices that were given which many would never of heard of. Not everyone is a fan of war-time related music but in fairness there is enough intrigue, guile and determination from the historical figures that Jordan brings to the fore, that it is incredibly difficult not to look on in admiration. Jordan’s voice is as powerful and empathetic as ever as well. Whether Jordan is teaching us about Ada Yorke (a nurse who wanted to be a doctor) who got the Royal Red Cross for exceptional nursing (in the song “Pride of the Army”), or about when women’s football teams arose to fundraise for children and families of soldiers (only for women’s football to be banned in 1920), she brings a sharp, observational style to her music. We can see what has been ignored for so long.

Jordan’s measured use of technology, design and choices allow the stage to be wholly about these important women. There are highs and lows, great characters and a lot of history to make this a fascinating evening show. Jordan is an enthusiastic sharer, her joy must be like a botanist finding a rare species of flower, except here the flowers are indeed the women of the Great War.

For that reason and the bright sparks that Jordan has captured from the tinder of the Great War, we consider her set one of three best things that we see at the festival.

Harp and a Monkey

http://www.harpandamonkey.com/

Harp and a Monkey in the way that they are, are rather odd, deep and certainly furrowing their own path in the folk world.

We saw them a good while back at Village Folk in Chellaston and they were very good indeed. At Derby Folk Festival they were back again within the “Village Folk” segment of the festivities. The trio performed two sets over the day, each one coursing with a signature blend of the psyche (their cover of “The Molecatcher”), the reverent memory (The Gallipoli Oak), a tipping of the hat to Charlie Chaplin’s unusual role in the War (Charlie Chaplin) and their dipping into folk themes of old (Willow and the Ghost).

They certainly have built up an impressive repertoire of moods all blending in and out of each other. At Derby Folk Festival the sound was crisp and clear, their voices are both mournful and joyful as if moving across the veil itself, bringing these stories back. Their performance also reminds that they take risks, and whilst their use of electronic sampling will be a Marmite factor, it does bring shape and form to the whispers of stories past and put a signature to their invigoration of songs.  Like a whisper travelling across the edges of your mind, Harp and a Monkey get in, reverberate and add to the mysteries of this world.

Eliza Carthy and The Wayward Band

https://elizawayward.com/

Without a question a swirling vortex of wind, Eliza Carthy et al’s entrance and reception at Derby Folk Festival is a reminder (in case you have been living under a no-folk rock for many years) that some voices cannot be contained by the constraints of nature.

Eliza Carthy and the Wayward Band have been formed since 2013. Twelve in number and probably 12 in volume and energy (sorry Spinal Tap), the band have gone from strength of strength especially since the launch of their 2016 work “Big Machine.”

Theatrical in sound, style and appearance it is a very awesome sight to behold. Ducking and weaving, jumping off the stage and bringing the feeling, Carthy and band certainly live up to the expectations from the album. They played some of our personal favourites such as, “Devil in the Woman” (a track of outrage and grit), “The Fitters Song” (a dark musical, but a number too good for any theatre I know) and the earthy, breathless “Hug you like a Mountain.” Words and descriptions do not really come close to the magic, spinning wonder and percussive excitement that you get from this individualistic band and show. It is like they bring the explosive pop of the champagne bottle to the Saturday, and we do not hesitate to put the group in our top three of Derby Folk Festival.

The Willows

https://www.thewillowsband.co.uk/

The day after In the Guildhall Theatre on Sunday we get the very big treat of seeing another rather special folk group that also comprises of some top-notch musicians. Just prior to the release of their third album, “Through the Wild” we meet Jade Rhiannon and band as they prepare for a focused, clean and intensive set. It is a show we have been waiting to see for rather a while.

Straddling a canyon of folk rock, folk pop and hints of indie, The Willows are a step into a unashamedly full, refined soundscape with a strong baseline and vocals that evoke the warmest of times. Somewhat easy listening, somewhat 90’s popular folk the limits of their reach cannot be fully measured in this blogpost; but we do manage to reach a  verdict on their show.

Before we get there, we have to think about their set. There is something here for everyone, “The Visitor” is uplifting and a pretty tasty bit of percussion, “Better Days” is a sweet and optimistic song though it winds its body around a contemplation of grief, and “False Light” a song about the ghost lights of the fens. With False Light in particular you get a song with a supernatural theme being turned into a belting, big sound event. Melodic to the last and rocking from the start, The Willows make a case for a wider sound, quite probably with larger mainstream appeal and musicians looking for something a little faster and fuller like a turbo-charged double-decker bus.

We enjoy their set and have had a good listen to their third album since; certainly an interesting and inspired choice for the festival.

Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys

http://www.samkelly.org/

There is a lot to see and fatigue can set in towards the end of a festival though Derby Folk has a secret up their sleeves. It is in fact Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys!

We do like these guys. Their folk music is unabashed fun and melodic, they are dead cheerful in demeanour and they do know how to put on a show. Most importantly you sometimes want to listen to a bit of folk that makes you feel good, Kelly and associates do not disappoint.

At this point they are probably stood on a tall stone surveying the land and maybe breathing in the fresh air as they have a couple of albums out and their initial ep, and pretty much everybody know who they are. This is a good gig to see for it is an act of consolidation and reflection. They cover several songs from both albums including the affirming “Spokes”, a song which is one of our favourite interpretations of “A Golden Vanity”, anthemic “The Jolly Waggoners” and many many more. They have a lot of good material both slow and fast and this gig certainly reminds us of their ascent into the limelight. We look forward to seeing where they go next!

Lady Maisery

https://www.ladymaisery.com/

This of course brings us to Lady Maisery. Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let us say that Lady Maisery were for us, hands down the best act at Derby Folk Festival. It is not a statement we take lightly or with any intention to downplay the other excellent acts that were there.

Why? Might you ask. It is no secret we rate the vocals of Hazel Askew, Rowan Rheingans and Hannah James at the top of their game but they brought something else which they admitted themselves had reinvigorated their enjoyment of the live scene. That is, their sound engineer.

Apologies for my failings. At first I couldn’t get a good picture and secondly I didn’t write down the sound engineer’s name. But when hearing the trio within the Guildhall, and with this level of sound production and management it is pretty close to perfect. Clear, resonating vocals and a show that takes many favourites from across their albums such as “The Factory Girl”, “Order and Chaos”, “Honest Work” and the excellent “Poor Man’s Lamentation” from the multi-artist Songs of Separation disc (one of the best works we have heard of all time).

Combining a sense of general societal political songs (not anything about the current situation thank goodness), poignant and dark tales of human beings and a sternum-shattering cohesive, beautiful sound their often (but not always) unaccompanied voices are pure magic.

For that reason they are our third pick of the festival and an act that you should not miss should the chance arise to see them!


And Many Others…

  • The crowd going wild for Sam Kelly
  • A bit of street morris
  • Kim Lowings and the Greenwood with some material new and old
  • Jack Rutter
  • What treasure exists within?
  • The Lucy Ward Band
  • Oka Vanga
  • The Carrivicks
  • The Kimberleys

There are many, many others who graced the stage who we saw and enjoyed thorough. Midnight Skyracer, the all-female bluegrass phenomenon were here continuing their explosive entry into the scene with fast fiddle, deep bass and an incredibly joyous set of songs to behold. Jack Rutterer had a great acoustic set touching on folk of all corners including the well-known “John Barleycorn”, The Kimberleys remind of acoustic folk of old: simple, happy and refreshing, and Oka Vanga have their time in the light of Derby Cathedral bringing songs of myth, nature and heartbreak.

So all-in-all an excellent festival. We saw a lot of artists here, many who we haven’t mentioned- the joy of Derby Folk Festival is it certainly gets the artists in!

Check out our sample videos below of the acts and get over to their websites for more information about them!

Keep your eyes open for Derby Folk 2019 and do not forget to get your ticket when the time comes at the website.

Categories
Album/EP Reviews British Folk Music Trad Covers

Rachael McShane – “When All is Still” Album Review

Released 10 Aug 2018

Rachael Mcshane has trekked through the valleys of folk music theatre with her star turn as Susannah, a new mother fighting through hardship on a boat to Australia in “The Transports”, dazzled under the lights of big band folk in “Bellowhead”, and made a flourish as a solo artist and teacher throughout her musical career. Drawing together an accompanying band from the bright beacon that is the North East called “The Cartographers” she looks to do Newcastle and the region proud alongside well-travelled guitarist and singer “Matthew Ord” and “Julian Sutton”, a melodeon player with some big name artists he has played besides. This album boasts a large number of guest musicians too, too many to name but a couple that spring in recognition include “Paul Sartin” on oboe and “Ed Neuhauser” on tuba.

There is a kind of no-nonsense, starkness to the album art. With clear, sharp photography McShane sits in her polka-dot dress maybe waiting for an incredibly refined jam session (musical jam, not toast but there is a lovely looking cup of tea there). Bright and colourful we get an early insight into what the album is about, like the shining of a glittering beam of light across the parchments of old. The clarity and level of communication of Mcshane and bands characters are unsurprising when you know it’s an Elly Lucas series of photos, as she is one of the best artist photographers of this current age. Like the warm embrace of your favourite feline, you know you are getting quality when she is involved in your work.

Starting with The Molecatcher (Roud 1052), McShane and group are almost literally “jumping over the stile” with their performance. It’s like a much jollier jaunt than we are used to on this dark, crawling beast of song with the feel of secret winks, closed doors and money being passed for turning the other way. It’s like the group have turned over the dirt and manure of the situation to make way for roses, especially with the affable melodeon cutting a jolly path indeed through the song. McShane sings with joy and glee, and the mandolin chases playfully it all works well and brings something different again to this little favourite of ours. Whilst the message of the song doesn’t change, the delivery certainly has and by an unexpected and delightful means.

A track that feels like a parade at the the Country Fair is “Ploughman Lads”, a take on The Plooman Laddies (Roud 3448), a Scottish love song to the tradesman essentially. A little quicker than older versions and a hint of modernity with its rolling drum means these hunky men get a little bit more of a fanfare and red carpet  in virtue of a glowing enthusiasm baked into this interpretation. It is a folk song which in this iteration feels like it deserves it’s place in a broadway musical somewhere where the central female protagonist is putting her sassy friends right about “where it’s at” with different types of men (or in this song, are “all the go”). It is certainly a toe-tapper and dancer, and another example of McShane’s optimism being manifest on the CD.

Another high point on the album is the band’s rendition of “Sheath and Knife”, a famous ballad (often) about incest with a sad conclusion (well, despite the subject matter). Alongside their take on “Two Sisters” it sits as the biggest divergence into melancholy that the album musters through it’s course. In terms of grim songs done well, we feel that the take on “Two Sisters” slightly edges it with its diversionary ending that cements the murky, brutal realism of murder and theft. McShane acknowledges the “cynic” in her for stripping out the magical elements of the singing-corpse-musical-instrument thing, but it works well as she strips down the dressing like a butcher removing the sinew from a carcass. It leaves the cold, meaningless of death as the final point in the story as the body is thrown back in the water and you feel just that little bit more grubby for listening.

This is a good album to get your mitts on as within Rachael McShane & The Cartographers have made a good selection of songs that demonstrate a certain type of bustle, energy and life to this songs that are sung reasonably often across the folk world.  Their optimism is rising like bubbles in a prosecco, if you want to join the party.. I’d bring a glass.

“When all is still” is available from several stockists. We would recommend going to the bands page and purchasing there if you are interested!

https://rachaelmcshane.co.uk/

Categories
Album/EP Reviews Folk Music

Robert Lane – Only a Flight Away – Review

Released 27th April 2018

With “Only a Flight Away” there is a gear change from the “Country Lane” to the “Highway Lane”. Working and skillfully taking influences from all round this is an artist who is more assured, more confident and more accomplished.

What comes to mind when you think of refinement? Fine wine, some blue coloured cheese, a hat tailored in such a way to make you look suave?

Of course it is all these things (unless of course, you have an aversion for food that admittedly on occasion smells of socks) but according to the dictionary it is more specifically, “the improvement or clarification of something by making small changes.” With Robert Lane’s latest album, “Only a Flight Away” we get a good, if not one of the best examples of fine tuning from an artist we have come across this year. Before we get to the meat of the album, who is Robert Lane?

Shakeypix Images

Robert Lane is an acoustic performer and singer-songwriter who has had the pleasure of performing as support for the likes of Bob Fox and in the company of greats such as Fleetwood Mac, Mark Knopfler, and Eric Clapton. He also seems to roam close to my distant  homeland in Brum, is part of an improv group (The Improlectuals) and gives guitar lessons (maybe one day if I ever master fiddle). An artist with a few projects on the go and a keenness, his profile is growing all the time. With this latest album, Robert returns in a followup to his previous EP “Ends and Starts” from 2016 and as we have alluded to already, it is a different kettle of fish to this previous work.

Bigger in scale, richer in sound, “Only a Flight Away” is the equivalent of a ballerina putting on their shoes or Columbo putting on his dirty mac in that Lane has found a part of his character, outlook and sound that he is rightly accentuating for others to see. In creating the album you get a strong sense of direction that Lane is staring in, he has sight of the path he wants to take, and part of this path is political commentary. The album is primarily a core of songs about the relationships, identity and self-musing but every now and then Lane’s devil inside, a grinning spectre emerges to comment about certain powerful men of the world. He is a bit like the strategic boxer, he isn’t coming out with flurry after flurry of missing blows, he takes his time and makes the right shots and much like in this situation, it is more the better for it. After all, in so much media making these jabs at Trump and America can be so easy and saturating that is tired to make the same allusions over and over again. Lane doesn’t do this, he makes is matter when he does it and then moves on.

 

Take “Man of the Moment” (track 2), it could be seen as purely a Trump missile (especially with it’s modern trappings of “post truth”) but that aside, its gravelly, slicing guitar riffs, encircling voice and hints of percussion has more to say. Your initial sense is of the Killers at the top of their game with it’s thumping, melodic beauty but thinking about it, if the film (and book) of American Psycho wasn’t so heavily based in the 80s, this could easily be an accompanying track to that. Lane’s lyrics could easily be the monologue of Patrick Bateman’s ego trip, smirking and thinking of self love (instead maybe of the Phil Collins we got). A beast of a song and recognisable as the standout hit on the album it is a great example of how having good sound production certainly makes a difference where it matters.

There are some other great numbers too. “Baby Knows” is a clapping, blues-led number that you could drink some good (and not so good) bourbon too. A positive, warming song which, like the album as a whole, has a fond regard to guitar performance with some lovely picking here to contrast to track two’s power chords. Its not reverence to the guitar like a church setting, more like Lane and his guitar are both in a biker gang, his guitar has a skill for arm-wrestling and this song is flexing it’s biceps. Kind of chummy like he knows it’s got him out of some scrapes in a tequila bar. As mentioned, there are some claps and harmonies there and the joy of the mixing is that the guitar has a prominent place, but nothing else is drowned out in the process.. which is certainly what you want.

Shakeypix Images

Another favourite on the album is “Far Too Busy.” Consciously structured as a lyrical and audio narrative, it does great things with an electronic baseline, piano and harmony. Starting as a recently modern sound (I get echoes of Lorde) it starts with a light industrial feel, maybe situating itself in a great conurbation like Birmingham. It is airy though with threads of dreampop, piano flourishes from Queen, and social commentary folk of the 60s. But there is genre time-travel all over this album, and repeated listens bring out some of the finer elements of the creation process be it the more rock opening of “The Hundred House” with echos of “Layla” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” or the slightly 90’s “calling out into the darkness” Oasis sound of “Bill Frost’s Flying Machine,” the comparisons could go on. If this doesn’t sound like high praise, it is. Bear in mind we usually only get enthused with guitar if there is a song about someone dying at sea being sung over the top of it, this album does have the power to remind of the musical influences of the past and that is always a good thing. The joy of these influences are that in the album they are glimpses, much like the fleeting memory of one’s earlier days of fast romancing (or if not applicable, I don’t know maybe a great whisky you had years ago!)

So when it boils down to it, it is a varied album. Lane shows us the different shades of his guitar and  makes an earnest, successful stab at bringing a sense of fun and attitude to what he does. A series of guitar songs about relationships doesn’t always float our boat but it does here as there is a great use of the resources around Lane and in terms of polish the sound production on “Only a Flight Away” is like that of an album from a big, mega, world-touring band and quite unexpected for a more humble artist.

So as we said when we started, pure refinement.

Check out more details about Robert Lane and “Only a Flight Away” on Robert’s website http://www.robertlanemusic.co.uk/music/ and have a listen below.

Categories
Festival World

Underneath the Stars 2018: Barnsley’s Further Foray into Folk

Underneath the Stars is a festival of celebration of Yorkshire’s music scene and the grand tradition of Kate Rusby, but more importantly it is an olive branch, nay, an olive tree that gives a platform to several well-known and upcoming groups wherever they hail from. A generous enterprise indeed.

Our festival visits continue and this time we cast our eye on “Underneath the Stars 2018”, one of the jewels of Barnsley’s music scene calendar. But does it glimmer in the light?

Now in it’s fifth year the festival is a a relaxed bustle of international musicians across genres, extensive and friendly children’s entertainment, excellent craft and food stalls and of course a series of musical workshops. It is true, many festivals have childrens entertainment but there is probably more than it’s fair share here with no end of diablos, stilts, optical illusion constructions and storytelling to keep the little ones entertained.

None of the entertainment seems like an afterthought either. Through the weekend we hear the countdown of entertainers about to release a giant Newton’s Cradle, or see the crypt-keeper doing his rounds ushering families for the night-time spooky tales. There is more all-round entertainment for families then I’ve ever seen at a folk festival anywhere, credit is definitely due for the Rusbys and their commitment to trying to make it a festival for everyone. Beer is free flowing, and there are more than enough places to indulge in food if you don’t bring your own, our favourite being the “Massala Chips” that are on offer from a vendor here. Whilst being fairly large in size, the whole even is quite self-contained with festival venues being near the top, the workshop tent at the bottom and everything else in between.

Colourful and picturesque, we cannot really ask for better surroundings.

That is all well and good, but what of the music? Well there is so much, it is hard to know where to start. Let us tell you about a few of our favourites. Starting with Maya Youseff.

Maya Youseff

Arriving on the third day like a hungry tiger waiting to pounce, Maya Youseff is here, but she is not alone. There is her band, but also an unexpected, ethereal sound drawn straight from her homeland that brings a positive World vibe which widens the scope and sound of the whole festival. Youseff is from Syria and considered the “queen of the quanun”, her 78 string zipher whose playing is usually dictated to be a man’s occupation. Breaking the mould in performance and sound, Youseff performs from an ethical standpoint, the desire for peace in Syria. She achieves this through a kind of waterfall of sonic beauty. Having played Womad the year before she brings her unique talents to South Yorkshire.

There is a lot from her set to enjoy. Of course she plays the number that started her leap into music with her most famous song “Syrian Dreams” a reflective tune that builds to a plead for action and an almost broken dismayed finale. It is something special but there is more. Her song “Hi Jazz” is an audio experiment into different chords and melody that shows the quanun’s versatility in playing and sustaining a tune that takes less influence and pointers from the Middle East with great success. Another favourite if ours is “Breakthrough” with a kind of sound that maps and shows inspiration and the barrage of ideas as they converge and deepen. It is all impressive.

Her songs of peace culminate in the “7 Gates of Damascus” a series of interludes that together formed a soundscape of these Damascus portals. There are shades of personality within each section be it the steadfast Kisan Gate, the much more watery Gate of St Thomas and also the “Gate of Peace” with several short sharp strokes like gleaming jewels in the sand.

A delightful set and a wonderful addition to Underneath the Stars. See her website here https://mayayoussef.com/.

Joanne Harris and the Storytime Band

Showing it’s commitment to star power and interesting celebrity, Underneath the Stars invite the acclaimed author Joanne Harris along to the weekend, and lucky for us she accepts. Widely famous for her work “Chocolat” she has written and conceived of several other multi-genre novels, Twitter-writing projects, and now she has turned her expert hand to music.

Early in the day, Joanne Harris’s band get the senses going for what comes next. Drawing the content of her songs and narrative from her books, we hear about bees, rivers of dreams, a clockmaker who remakes his wife piece by piece, and a shapeshifting woman of nature. Her stories are primal and familiar but much like the vinyl loaded on to a player in a hurry, they are all stories with an interesting spin. As Harris explains, they all wanted to “escape the page”

The set can easily be described as myth with a cloak of “prog rock” which is little surprise given the bands personal friendship and history together. Harris herself calls it “Jackanory with drums.” We can’t refute her logic, there are a great selection of stories she draws on here and it is quite jaunty and forlorn in the way only flute led forest tunes can be. Whilst this is the case the overarching tone and character probably can be more likened in it’s musicality to the War of the Worlds. You aren’t waiting for the interrogative violin slap of that signature tune, but maybe one or two martians made it through the British military’s defensive line this time. This is no bad thing rather it is an interesting choice.

Inventive and powerful, the Storytime Band are one to check out if they are in your area. Check out Joanne Harris’ website for more information http://www.joanne-harris.co.uk/.

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

All dressed smartly in a row, it is possible that many audience members are uncertain of what is to come (my partner is incredibly sceptical). The Ukes are pretty much exactly what they say they are after all, an orchestra of ukuleles but this factor alone is not what makes them brilliant (as unique as it is). It is rather they they cover songs that are instantly recognisable with the gusto and flamboyance of a Spanish Bullfighter making bread to tune. The comedy starts with them describing the vast array of tuned ukuleles in their repertoire (hint: they are mostly tenor) and it just continues to climb from there.

This knowledge doesn’t really prepare for the onslaught of comedy and musicianship that is to come your way. These small instruments and their performers become epic in size as the evening ticks over and emotions run high. Some of our favourites include their rendition of “Life on Mars”, “Born to be Wild”, and “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)”. Sprightly in sound like a drove of hares, the Ukes commanded the field, tent and all surrounding area as they remind you of great songwriting in the ukulele style.

We had seen snippets online of their performances, after all, they have played the highest echelons of arenas such as Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, but even the grandiosity of the sound and image on screen does not come close to the atmosphere of the live performance. Consummate and legendary they are an exceptional act for this Barnsley festival. Their website is here https://www.ukuleleorchestra.com/index.php/.

Midnight Skyracer

As fiery as the efflorescent arcs of heated coals into a train engine, Midnight Skyracer are a fine set of plans for a bluegrass night as any you can imagine. At “Underneath the Stars” they were part of the afternoon entertainment.. and entertained we were. Like an unstoppable but non-menacing juggernaut (maybe a mystery red setter running at you rather than an Alsatian), Midnight Skyracer were on point with delightfully sun-bleached lyrics, tremendous  instrument skills and a chamber of sound that confidently shakes the most obscure mountain man’s hut. Their songs ranged from quintessential Blues romps (Working Girl Blues), to Bluegrass-RiotGrrrl song “So Long, Goodbye, We’re Through” with dizzying banjo plucks and a refreshing story of how a song transformed from being a potato to a cow who is rode like a horse (Virginia Rose).

Their set is basically a testament to how much a group can rock. Throughout you see the different shades of Bluegrass, and each artist’s personality clearly shines through. In other words.. we highly recommend. See their website here http://midnightskyracer.com/

Kate Rusby & Sally Smith

Yes the integral Kate Rusby is performing during the festival, and she is fantastic. There is also a surprise appearance by Jason Manford and together they truly bring the house down with “Falling Softly”, a song from Manford’s album and a track from the musical “Once” (a love story set in Dublin). There was also an opportunity to hear fan favourites “Big Brave Bill” (Barnsley’s superhero of choice) and the eponymous beautiful and completative “Underneath the Stars” amongst many others from Kate’s extensive discography. A personal and consummate performer you can’t help but smile at Kate’s energy, and this is why we were especially interested in the “cosy chat” portion of the weekend where Kate Rusby & Sally Smith came back (by popular demand) to talk about their friendship and looking fondly back on early experiences with music.

It is all very real when Kate plays a tape of an especially sad song about kissing the lips of a dead soldier (that’s how we remembered it anyway) as part of a school project. The slot moves on around her (at the time) questionable fashion (a pair of massive trousers they both stand in being something else indeed), it is all very relaxed and cool and welcoming. At a few points Kate is joined by the band and husband Damien O’Kane as they thrash out some songs. At these junctures, friend Sally entertains massively here with her tin whistle interjections and well-meaningness. Light-hearted and cheeky it’s a warming mirror to the spirit of the festival and a good showcase of what it is all about.

And Many Others..

We could go on all day (we won’t we promise), so let us quickly run through some of the others that caught our attention. There is of course the prominent, significant and mind-dwelling set of Lau alongside their Moog instrument “Morag”, a group so inventive and cerebral they seem to pierce the veil of musicality itself. Also the enigmatic yet  grounded Martha Tilston, quiet and contained “Pitou” and Austarians “L-R” who in their grand percussion seemed to attract the biggest and most dedicated following for a newer artist that we saw over the weekend.

There is also Andy Kershaw’s sage and funny advice from the world of showbiz (with some Alan Bennett impressions thrown in), Estebel’s excellent European Folk wanderings, Jack Rutter’s faithful folk leanings, and one of our favourites “Melrose Quartet” shaking up the festival with their exceedingly polished, reaching set around the successful “Dominion” album. Credit should also be given for Jack Harris a long time supporter of the festival, compere and performing with an honest, gritty and talented acoustic set.

All-in-all a success. A very family-friendly event, a safe site, and excellent music taste by the Rusbys here. If festivals were animals, then “Underneath the Stars” would be an emperor penguin standing tall and confident, yet humble in it’s achievements and offer.

Check out the bands, keep peeled for next year’s festival and get yourself tickets. “Underneath the Stars” got the mix of new and established artists just right with so many interesting expressions and beautiful means of weaving a song. Go to the website here to keep an eye open https://underthestarsfest.co.uk/

If this is not enough, check out some of our sample videos from the festival below.

NOTE: I do not copyright or ownership of given performances and music below, they belong with the respective owners. I do not claim income from said material. Any artists wishing for use and copies of the source files for their own promotion and use, please email me at reviewer@folk-phenomena.co.uk and I can send the original recording for your own publicity and artistic endeavours.

Categories
Festival Folk Music

An Auspicious Beginning in the Sun – Beardy Folk Festival 2018 – 21st-23rd June 2018

An auspicious beginning in the sun, Beardy brings the breadth of bigger festivals to you in a space which is convenient, friendly and relaxed

Like when the blacksmith’s hammer is at it’s hottest, June this year was aglow with fire, heat and sparks.

Festival season was underway and the musical magic about to happen for many people who get to choose their poison (alcohol, cola, tea) and go to a festival to choose their other poison (pop, jazz, folk, hip-hop). For a few days over late June we decided to opt for Folk as our medium of choice and travel down to Shropshire for the first of what is shaping to a nice additional to the festival calendar, the “Beardy Folk Festival.”

It lived up to it’s name, that’s for certain. One of the artists (I cannot remember which) did point out he thought he’d walked into a ZZ Top Convention. Yes there were beards and they were that impressive, my boy stubble was of no compare.

Bearded stuff aside, the festival was home to some children’s entertainment, a mini funfair and opportunities to eat, drink and buy around the fantastic walled Hopton Court. Thankfully with the expansive, warming sun we found a few areas of shade to cool off and certainly left the festival with a tan! We are certainly liking the trend in festivals where the bar is encouraging people to hire the containers or bring their own. Beardy had their own take where they sold you a commemorative container for £1 and you keep it for the festival all the way through and beyond. Certainly environmentally better than binning a pile of plastic.

We also found that there was excellent sound quality all around, good scheduling (you could see absolutely everything) and some brilliant acts to boot; the beer was quite awesome too. It’s more contained than expansive city festivals (like Oxford Folk Festival) so what it loses in it’s varied sprawling historical setting it makes up for in convenience and pleasant surroundings. The only musical tent being an acoustic tent was good also, not much need for jostling to get to the front, everyone can see and have to bring their own seats.

That’s the festival generally. What were our musical highlights? See below and have a quick sample!

JOSHUA BURNELL BAND

We continue to sing the praises of this modern, psychedelic outfit that brings the animation of yesteryear folk and collides it with the vitality of youth. Singing a number of folk songs, some bombastic in their rock interpretations (The Lowlands of Holland) with other more considered numbers (such as a version of “At the Harbour”) or bloodythirsty tales of revenge, “The Smuggler’s Tale”, they continue to be a a festival catalyst. Like the spinning leaves of Autumn that trigger a beautiful memory as they crunch underfoot, the Joshua Burnell Band always liven up the place. Their belting of Scots set, “Plane Tree & Tenpenny bit” is like the crack of a lion tamers whip as it curves around the stage, it is even more with the recent addition of Holly Brandon on fiddle, they really are hitting their groove in style.

With a big band rock edge, inspiration can be seen from Steeleye Span with their spin on “Blackleg Miner” and Fairport Convention’s “Tamlin” and these models certainly suits them as the joining chorus of instruments keep pace with Burnell’s dancing hands and swaying hair.

Always a pleasure to see and hear. For us the Joshua Burnell Band are like the person at a party who finds and open the champagne in the middle of celebrations!

Go to http://www.joshuaburnell.co.uk/ and find some more out about them.

KIERAN TOWERS AND THE CARRIVICK SISTERS

We admit that the sun always shines on us with the Carrivick Sisters. A duo who have been influencing and informing folk and bluegrass for a while, it is statistically possible that their down-to-earth characters and earnest, exploratory songwriting could not do the trick one day.. but that would be a sad day indeed (and we do very badly at maths).

At Beardy, they were joined by Kieran Towers. Kieran has made an album with Charlotte Carrivick, “Wolves a Howlin'” that looks at Appalachian Folk Music with new eyes, and his presence here was very welcome indeed. They performed some excellent songs including the historically drenched “1912 House” that oozed sadness and the feel of another time, the burning and aching wonder of their take on “The Blackest Crow” and the delicate racing burst of “Piggy Bank”, an instrumental that reminded of the sugar rush of crushed skittles.

They also sung of Snowdonia and maps, responding to a Yew Pine Mountain in an original track (“No Yew a Pine Mountain”) and an old tortoise, in a great set of versatility.

Dynamic and versatile, Towers and the Carrivicks make it look easy and effortless. To hear more of Charlotte and Kieran go here http://www.towerscarrivick.co.uk/, for the Carrivicks go here http://www.thecarrivicksisters.co.uk/.

 

KITTY MACFARLANE

Imagine a quiet cave with you inside and your thoughts on the walls around from a mythological adventure you have returned from. This is how you might come to understand the music of Kitty Macfarlane. We have been waiting to see her for quite a while, the last time we caught any of her set was at Oxford Folk Festival last year.. but that was literally ten minutes (we got lost on the windy streets).

Beardy Folk made it very easy to find her this time so there we were! Kitty’s set didn’t disappoint.

Several of the songs tickled our interest of legend and story such as the “Glass Eel”, the world-spanning creature and “Avona and the Giant” about the muse of brothers “Goram and Vincent” from Somerset lore. The latter is much like the singer herself: quiet and effective as it makes it’s way into the world. The afternoon sun definitely got softer with her musical presence. And then there were other songs such as her song about fishermen in North France “Tide and Time”, and a new song she had composed for a newborn in her family “Dawn and Dark” about there being bigger challenges for the child as they grow up and even better things to come in the future.

Enjoyable, mellow and contained we recommend you see her where you can.

At the point of Kitty’s debut album is on it’s way on 21st September, “Namer of Clouds.” Go to her website for more information http://www.kittymacfarlane.com/

GRANNY’S ATTIC

With Granny’s Attic we feel that they are at the point where their lightening might strike, we have heard the rumble of thunder and now the energy is coming down from the skies. With a fairly extensive tour schedule and

Granny’s Attic are a trio of young, exasperatingly talented musicians who (we think quite rarely) sail their boat around the rock of traditional folk. There aren’t the only young group who are, its just that few seem to accomplish it with the kind of trad-purity and dedication to the cause. Like a herd of plucky mountain goats you can try to catch their sound and energy but they will run away with it.

Our favourites were “The Wheels of the World” with a particular message about society, the great titled “What I Saw In My Dream (As I Slept in My Chair)” a kind of delirious dream of what the world could be like, and of course their saline, punchy version of shanty, “Away to the South’ard.” The winds of the world were blowing indeed and these guys answer the call.

A funny bit of the set was how the band described how they might have burnt their bridges in local Worcester venues (because they weren’t very good back then) and have found fame elsewhere. It is certainly encouraging to hear how musicians always start from somewhere (and it happens they are from near where we grew up).

They are a young image of folk that takes everything you like about the traditional scene and adds a dash chilli to heat it up, go to their website for more info https://www.grannysattic.org.uk/

URBAN FOLK QUARTET

Dishing out intricate musical performance with the energy of a piston engine, the Urban Folk Quartet opened with “Long Time Traveller” an earthy, rich hewing of ancient wood and soil. There is plenty here with fiddle, guitar, banjo and some serious percussion that extends it’s grasp into those areas between experiences that spread beyond geographical boundaries. Awfully tongue-in-cheek with their prowess there is so much to like whether it’s Dan Walsh’s clambering and speeding “Whiplash Reel” (after what we presume is an intense Indian car journey) or a three piece tune that celebrates the experience of joining (and then running away) from the circus; there are many things to be happy with and many subject matters to get lost in. “The “Whiplash Reel” rolls off the banjo almost effortlessly and sings of unfamiliar streets, the song is layered like a strata of land that bristles with India’s many precious metals perhaps inviting you for a prospect of your own.

Enjoyable and reaching for those places you didn’t know existed, the Urban Folk Quartet are another band to add to your list, https://theufq.com/

There were many other sets we enjoyed at Beardy too. There was a rare appearance by Richard Digance, comedian and singer who sand many from his repetoire “What’s the use of anything?”, “Jack of all trades” and “Sod’s Law.” An all-round entertainer, Digance explained the showbiz world and where he feels he fits in it, it was surely entertaining to realise where all those daytime TV guitar numbers had come from. Grace Petrie was a force of nature. We hadn’t seen a full set of hers until this time (previously caught her as part of the Coven) so it was a joy to hear a strongly political (but often personal) voice to the mix of proceedings here. Extremely self-aware (her musing about just how “left” she is is telling, and something I battle with myself) she was a thundering cannon on these thoughts in “Nobody Knows I’m a Fraud” before launching into “Ivy” a runaway hit of her set (and would have been at the festival were it not for the Graceland set). Her self and being is held up for all to see, a heartfelt performer that laments her lack of finding a particular niche but exhibits the qualities of freedom and break from tradition that much folk shys away from.

We also enjoyed the continuing success of Kim Lowings, which was seen even more here and the comedic but vivid waves of tunes from the Jaywalkers who supplied not only the offbeat, unexpected numbers around burnt chilli and a “Mountain Chicken” but also a very fine cover of “Tainted Love.” Bright and piercing like an arrow of light, they are a quality act. Other musicians of note were Roberts & Lakeman, Skinner & Twitch, and Jim Moray but there are too many to mention here.

Beardy Folk was an incredible success. A good opener with a recognisable and varied type of artist, an open location with a complimentary sound setup.

Keep your eyes to their website ahead of their festival I’m sure will be happening same time next year! https://www.beardyfolkfestival.co.uk/

 

Categories
Uncategorised

Underneath the Stars 2018- Interviews #2 Jack Rutter, L-R, Estbel, Kizzy Crawford and Midnight Skyracer

Hi all.

Ahead of the “Underneath the Stars” Festival 2018 (running 20-22 July), as fans of folk music and the wider spectrum of folky related things, we spoke to a number of artists leading up to this sunny and exciting event.

If you missed our first set of interviews, you can find discussions from Dutch-soloist “Pitou” right through to captivating Syrian “Maya Youssef” here http://folk-phenomena.co.uk/2018/07/18/underneath-the-stars-2018-interviews-1/. It is all lining up for something special.

We have more conversations up our sleeves though, more voices from the musical world, more wells of inspiration and even more star value. Please, come inside, make yourself some juice and find a sun-lounger, here is part 2 of our whistle-stop artist interviews for “Under the Stars 2018” https://underthestarsfest.co.uk/

Jack Rutter

https://jackruttermusic.com.

First up, we had a chat with Jack Rutter. Jack Rutter is from West Yorkshire. Aye, it’s pretty fine, I certainly saw some sights when travelling from Huddersfield outwards when I lived there; one of my favourite things is the Slaithwaite Moonraking Festival (which I’ve not gone to for a few years.. need to check it out again). Jack is firmly in the traditional vein of things when it comes to songs, and he does them so well. Here is what he had to say!

Jack Rutter will be performing on the Little Lights Stage on Sunday 22 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourself?

Jack Rutter: I’m a folk singer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist from West Yorkshire generally singing traditional songs.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Jack Rutter: Ooh that’s a tricky one, I love singing all of them and I like them all for different reasons. I suppose one that always goes down well is the Dalesman’s Litany which I learnt from the wonderful singing of Dave Burland.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Jack Rutter: I’ve been to Underneath the Stars a few times in the past playing with different people and I’ve been blown away by it as a festival every time, it’s just so well put together with the sound and the decorations around the site and the food and the whole thing! To be honest I also love the fact that it’s pretty much on my doorstep, so my journey to the gig is particularly easy.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Jack Rutter: Another tricky one, there’s so much on! I never pass up a chance to hear Lau, Grace Petrie’s also wonderful, I’m really excited to hear Midnight Skyracer as I’ve heard so much about them, Damien O’Kane and Rob Block’s banjo extravaganza promises to be utterly joyous, and watching a Kate Rusby gig is always truly special.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Jack Rutter: More gigs and singing and playing and pootling about throughout the summer and into next year.

L-R

www.facebook.com/LRpostfolkasturianu

We are not sure what to expect from L-R. Billed as a duo who use original and traditional instruments (such as tambourine)  but with a sound that is “post folk”, it is a bit like waiting to see what lies behind the black curtain in a cabaret act. Nevertheless, Asturian music might be the key to unlocking inner harmony and we were pleased to have a moment with them.

L-R will be performing on the Little Lights Stage on Sunday 22 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

L-R: L-R is a duo from Asturias, in the north of Spain. We mix traditional songs and tambourine playing (which is a very important part of our traditional music) with the modern sounds of the electric guitar and pedal effects.

I: Describe your music in five words?

L-R: If we had to describe it in five words it’d be: “21st century Asturian traditional music”.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

L-R: We’ve honestly never thought about it but if we had to make a choice it would be the “muiñeira de Degaña” which is the first song we arranged. It’s a traditional dance song from south-west Asturias with a Delta blues slide guitar backing. It’s a big success in every concert.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

L-R: We’d really love people come to our gig and get to know Asturian music, especially what we do. Some people might know some tunes from bands like Llan de Cubel but I don’t think the tambourine and singing tradition is very well known. So please come see us and you’ll be in for a treat!

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

L-R: The festival line up is so amazing that we couldn’t pick one artist. We’re big fans of Steve Earle, Lau, Kate Rusby … but we’re discovering many great bands in the line-up and can’t wait to see them live!

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

L-R: After the festival we have a few more gigs in Asturias for the summer festival season, in the traditional circuit but also bringing our music to new audiences as we have to play even in surf festivals! There’s a new recording getting ready for the autumn and a tour of Brittany (France) next winter.

Estbel

https://estbel.be/home

Estbel is an incredibly slick operation. They’ve been all over (including Celtic Connections) and do not seem to be showing any signs of stopping. A hybrid of Estonia and Belgium in influence, their music is rich and confident. At times they sound like the very essence of the world itself, we cannot underestimate the natural tones of their song and are grateful to see them bring a different flavour to South Yorkshire.

Estebel will be performing on the Planets Stage on Friday 20 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Estbel: Estbel joins together the best Estonia and Belgium have to offer. On one side you get the Nordic beauty and serenity, on the other the finest sons of the heartland of European folk music.

In February 2016 the Dhoore brothers and two Estonian nightingales spent a week in Saaremaa looking for a common sound, vision and feeling. They found it and only a year later presented their first album Saar/Island – an homage to where it all started.

The album, like Estbel itself, is full of rare original tunes combining compelling Flemish melodies and beautiful Estonian singing. This is a combination you have to hear to believe!

I: Describe your music in five words?

Estbel: Dreamy, Touching, Energizing, Feels like nature, Misty.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Estbel: Well, I don’t think we have a “one and only” favourite song. Or we might each have different ones. But one of the main goals for us while making this program, was to make songs that we all love to play. And I think this has worked out pretty well. We all enjoy bringing the music we do.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Estbel: We have heard so many great things about this festival and we are very much looking forward to play there. Estbel had a spring tour in UK this spring (2018) and we enjoyed playing there very much. It is always great to bring your music to new audiences who have not had the chance to get to know you yet. It is the same like making new friends.  We are looking forward to share our music with new audience and we also hope to have a chance to go and see some other concerts.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Estbel: Well, the line up is really great. We are looking forward to see LAU, Yves Lambert Trio, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards and surely some great bands we don’t know yet. But I think the most special one for me (Leana) is seeing Kate Rusby live. I remember being 18-19, listening to her “Underneath The Stars” and being totally blown away by it. So, it is a great honour to play at the festival that is named after that great song.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Estbel: After Underneath the Stars Festival we will be playing at Music on the Marr. And in August we will have a week of concerts in one of our home countries – in Estonia. Which we are also really looking forward to, as summer is really magical in the North.

Kizzy Crawford

http://www.kizzymerielcrawford.com/

Kizzy Crawford is a very exciting prospect. As an artist who speaks Welsh, has Bajan heritage and ahead of her debut album is unstoppable in her drive to create and inhabit different genres. She has been to Cheltenham Jazz Festival, she has been on Radio 4, and now she is here in South Yorkshire. We suspect she is going to make some big waves, check her out.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Kizzy: I was born in Oxford but moved to Wales when I was 3, I grew up surrounded by the beautiful Welsh language and culture which greatly inspired me to start writing and singing my own music. I felt different to the other kids in school as I was the only mixed race girl and was also very shy, I used the Welsh language and culture to help me fit in and feel at home. If it wasn’t for this I don’t think I would have ever started writing my own music.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Kizzy: Experimental, bilingual, jazzy, soulful, expressive

 

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Kizzy: Golden Brown/Brown Euraidd, as the message in the song is a very important one – that everyone is beautiful inside and out. In the song I am talking to my younger self, teaching her this message, to not listen to the bullies and to be proud of who I am, everytime I sing this song, I confirm this message to myself which makes me stronger.

 

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Kizzy: Im looking forward to showing the people of Yorkshire my sound and to checking out the other artists

 

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?  

Kizzy: Im looking forward to seeing Kate Rusby performing at the festival

 

I:  What’s next for you after the festival?

Kizzy: I will be releasing my debut album, which has been a long time coming, I can’t wait!

Midnight Skyracer

http://www.midnightskyracer.com/

Rather new, but also rather well known on the circuit at the moment, “Midnight Skyracer” are the ass-kicking all-female bluegrass band with a number of fine instrumentalists drawn from the UK all together in one place. We are particularly excited to hear the women tear it up.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

MS: We are a new, all-female 5 piece bluegrass band playing hard driving traditional and modern classics, lesser known songs and a few originals.

I:     Describe your music in five words?

MS: Hard driving girl power bluegrass

I:      What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

MS: Any fast train song in the key of B

I:      What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

MS: We love performing and the response we get from audiences, so that. But also looking forward to meeting up with fellow musician friends – festivals are great for that.

I:      Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival? 

MS: Our friend and banjo hero Ron Block – but I think we miss his set for our sound check!

I:      What’s next for you after the festival?

MS: More festivals! We have at least one most weekends this summer.

 

 

We can’t wait for this lot to take the stage.

Once again it is a fascinating cross-section of artists who will be there, and we have barely scratched the surface.

Get yourselves down to CinderHill Farm and let the sounds wash over you. It is all good, you most likely deserve it.. we definitely think so.

Go to  https://underthestarsfest.co.uk/

and get your tickets before it all kicks off (20-22 July).

Categories
Folk Music Interviews

Underneath the Stars 2018- Interviews #1 Pitou, Howlin’ Rick & The Rocketeers, Melrose Quartet, John Metcalfe and Maya Youssef

Underneath the Stars 20-22 July 2018 https://underthestarsfest.co.uk/

Hi all. We hope the sun has brought some joy to your weeks and a smile to your face!

We are back after spending much time at the Beardy Folk Festival (which we will tell you about very shortly), because after all it is still festival season!

Today we would like to introduce a number of artists who sat down and had a bit of a chat with us about the upcoming “Underneath the Stars” Festival. What is “Underneath the Stars”?

Well, “Underneath the Stars” cannot really be considered apart from the efforts of Joe Rusby (and others), and singer Kate Rusby who always forms a part of proceedings. For many, folk music has always taken pride of place in the heart and never ceases to illuminate the top shelf of the CD rack (or now maybe the top disc of your computer hard drive!) But for others later to the game, it can seem a genre with a difficult way in. Kate Rusby is many people’s way in, and it’s hard to see why not. Great vocals, singing voice and arrangements truly warrant her moniker of the “Barnsley Nightingale” and this year along with many, many others they will entertaining at Cinderhill Farm near Barnsley.

Check out their website above and get yourself there, its a lineup of kings and for us a special occasion so quintessentially South Yorkshire.

Anyway before we go, we decided to speak to a few of the artists going and this is who we stumbled upon, have a read and get ready for :

Pitou

http://www.pitoumusic.com/

We start by having a brief chat with Pitou, an intelligent music adventurer. Dutch-born with a palpable sense of experimentation in emotion, the Independent described her as “One of the most arresting voices to emerge out of 2017, Amsterdam-born artist Pitou has earned comparisons to singers such as Laura Marling and Julia Holter thanks to her intelligent brand of folk-pop.” There is something intriguing here, like the delight of a sharp, glass figurine that catches the corner of your eye in a room full of porcelain we have high hopes as she crosses the sea to share her vulnerable, exploratory music in South Yorkshire.

Pitou will be performing on the Little Lights Stage on Friday 20 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourself?

Pitou: My name is Pitou, I am from Amsterdam, and I will be playing at Underneath the Stars with my wonderful band. We can’t wait to play. 

I:  Describe your music in five words?

Pitou: My first answer would be: Please Come Look For Yourselves. It’s always kind of dreadful to try and squeeze your music into a couple of words. But let me try again. Folkpop, Harmonies, Emphatic, Human, Delicate. 

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Pitou: We do a couple of acapella songs. That’s always a special moment in the set. I’ve sang in a classical children’s choir when I was young, and these songs are a way of showing how wonderful just voices can be – but to a completely different stage and to a different audience.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Pitou: We are looking forward to pretty much everything – the road-trip (we are coming from Amsterdam, and playing in London the day before), the sightseeing, but mostly the performing itself, and meeting new people.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?  

Pitou: My drummer was beyond excited when he found out that we are playing on the same stage as Steve Earle & The Dukes.

I: What’s next for you after the festival? 

Pitou: We will play some really nice festivals, and I am already working on new music, which I’m really excited about. Right now we are starting to play abroad more and more – and it’s wonderful to see all these different places, whilst discovering that the people that come and listen are not that different from each other. In a very beautiful and positive way.

Howlin’ Rick & The Rocketeers

https://howlinricandtherocketeers.bandcamp.com

Rock and Roll never goes out of fashion.. and quite rightly so.

Taking elements of Rockabilly, Country and Blues and mixing it across their original set, Howlin’ Rick reaches back in time and tickles the nostalgia of yesteryear. From what we’ve heard it’s got legs.. and they want to move. Eschewing an homage and instead bringing something that sounds quite fresh and with solid workmanship we spoke to the Leeds multi-instrumentalist ahead of the festival.

Howlin’ Rick & The Rocketeers will be performing on the Little Lights Stage on Friday 20 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

HR&TR: We are a five piece Rhythm n Blues band from Yorkshire. We play original material and try and keep it rooted in mid-50s Rock n Roll & RnB. Most of our time is spent travelling up and down the UK playing our set at Rock n Roll clubs, bars and Rockin’ Festivals.

I: Describe your music in five words?

HR&TR: Original Rockin’ Rhythm & Blues.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

HR&TR: The song of the moment for us is our new song “Lovin’ Days Are Through”. Got an RnB/Gospel feel. It’s going to be released in November as our first single.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

HR&TR: This festival has a great reputation. Everything from looking after the artists, the quality of the stages, sound team and last but not least how up for it the music loving audience is!

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

HR&TR: We are there on the Friday so after we’ve played we are gonna check out Steve Earl & the Dukes

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

HR&TR: Next up we are playing more festivals but one of the most exciting things for us is our first single coming out in November followed by our first album in Spring/Summer 2019.

Melrose Quartet

https://melrosequartet.co.uk

Folk music through and through, the Melrose Quartet are high profile indeed within these beautiful fields of traditional music that are soon to be filled at “Underneath the Stars.”  We cannot do much but sing their praises, and also point out they were one of the few lucky groups to win one of our “Halo of Folk” Awards this year (listen to our award podcast at www.folk-phenomena.co.uk). We spoke to Jess Arrowsmith (on fiddle) about the upcoming festival.

The Melrose Quartet will be performing on the Little Lights Stage on Saturday 21 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Jess Arrowsmith: Melrose Quartet are Nancy Kerr, James Fagan, and Jess & Richard Arrowsmith. We’ve been good friends for a long time, and all are established performers with quite a range of other projects, but the band came together after ending up living on the same street and having babies at the same time as each other, spending a lot of time hanging out together singing and playing socially, and realising that the combination of all four voices plus two fiddles, box and bouzouki was a bit magic. It is one of those bands that feels like considerably more than the sum of its parts, and we genuinely have enormous fun making music together.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Jess Arrowsmith: Lively, rich, uplifting, harmony, magic.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Jess Arrowsmith: Such a difficult question! That is like asking us to choose a favourite child!!  If we are only allowed to pick one then probably Dominion of the Sword (17th century words with the snap of modern rap, put to a gutsy traditional Breton tune by Martin Carthy in the 1980’s – always gets the adrenaline going.).

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Jess Arrowsmith: Playing and singing for a new audience – none of us have been to the festival before.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Jess Arrowsmith: Never seen Steve Earle live before but have listened to his music for a long time, so that is pretty exciting.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Jess Arrowsmith: Lake District Folk Weekend 3-4 August, Dartmoor Folk Festival 10-11 August, Whitby Folk Week (where we are patrons) 18-24 August.

John Metcalfe

http://john-metcalfe.co.uk

 

One of our most anticipated acts for “Underneath the Stars” is John Metcalfe.

We can’t put our finger on it, maybe its the trip-hop influence on the song “Wrapped”.. or the slight breakbeat inflections of “Sycamore”.. or maybe it’s just the pure sleeves of talent on these performers but we are loving the soundscapes and departure from the bound and usual. Either way they are on our horizons, and should be on yours. Check out our brief stop and chat.

John Metcalfe will be performing on the Little Lights Stage on Saturday 21 July.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

John Metcalfe: We like a small tequila after the show.

I: Describe your music in five words?

John Metcalfe: Dolphin, Tree, Copper, Dusk, Dopamine.

 I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

 John Metcalfe: ‘Sun’. It’s 20 minutes long and is a bit of a journey…

 I: What are you looking forward to most about performing at the festival?

John Metcalfe: The lights going down just before we play.

 I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

 John Metcalfe: Everyone we can!

 I: What’s next for you after the festival?

 John Metcalfe: New album release and producing a new album for Ben Murray and Rosie Doonan.

Maya Youssef

 https://mayayoussef.com.

With her quanun in arms and the drive for bringing peace through music, Maya Youseff is very curious indeed. She has played in Syria, at the proms and now she is playing at “Underneath the Stars.” Playing in opposition to Syria’s troubles, she is a truly great, original and ethical pick for the festival and we look forward to the event that her set absolutely will be.

Maya Youssef will be performing on the Planets Stage on Sunday 22 July. 

I: Tell us more about yourself?

Maya Youssef: I am a dreamer, a bringer of peace, and a rebel. The ‘proper’ way to describe myself is a Syrian qanun player and a composer based in London. The qanun is a 78 stringed- plucked zither often referred to as the piano of Arabic music.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Maya Youssef: Alchemical, heartfelt, intense, joyful, eye-opening.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Maya Youssef: That changes from time to time. Currently it’s ‘Queen of the night’ because it’s the most uplifting mischievous track on my album Syrian Dreams.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Maya Youssef: I love myself an intimate festival … the people, Yorkshire…I would say pretty much everything!

I; Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?  

Maya Youssef: Kate Rusby. I am also looking forward to discovering some new music.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Maya Youssef: Two gigs in Ireland including one at the National Concert Hall, Dublin and then my UK Autumn tour in some pretty epic venues.

So there you go. Five artists and groups, five different voices and messages.. all in once place.

Underneath the Stars 20-22 July 2018 https://underthestarsfest.co.uk/

Get yourself there and get a ticket. Stay tuned for our second round of interviews.. coming soon!

Categories
Festival Folk Music Interviews Uncategorised

Beardy Folk Festival 2018 – Artist Interviews – Part #2

Aloha!

The time is very close indeed for the first-of-it’s-name “Beardy Folk Festival” down in Cleobury Mortimer.

As I keep bleating about, there is an astonishing array of artists from the folk tradition there, quite a haul really for the first festival.

We have spoken to some of the artists going, and very kindly they have allowed us to interview them!

Click here, for our first range of interviews that includes FALSE LIGHTS, THE JOSHUA BURNELL BAND, and ERIC SEDGE.

And if you haven’t checked it out already, go and see the full Beardy Folk Festival Lineup at: https://www.beardyfolkfestival.co.uk/

Now on to the second round of interviews!

FLY YETI FLY

Playing on the Acoustic Stage at 8.30pm on Saturday 23rd June. For further information on Fly Yeti Fly visit http://flyyetifly.com.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Darren and Lorna: We’re Darren Fisher and Lorna Somerville. We met six years ago at an open-mic night in Torquay, Devon, and we spent the rest of that night sitting under the stars together writing songs until sunrise. Shortly after meeting, we moved to Belgium, lived in a caravan and worked on an allotment, and it was during that time we wrote a lot of the songs that are on our first album. We then moved back to Devon and started gigging together, getting known locally as ‘the yetis’ and sharing our music with people all over the south west. We’ve since got married, and we now live on a narrowboat on the Kennet and Avon Canal – we draw a lot of inspiration for our music from the natural world and the people we meet. People say that our sound is reminiscent of the late-60s folk scene, and we released our debut album, ‘Shine a Light in the Dark’, last year.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Darren and Lorna: Dreamy, honest, delicate, quirky, enchanting.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Darren and Lorna: That’s a tough question, because each performance feels different, the room is different, the audience is different, so it can change all the time! At the moment, we really enjoy playing ‘The Mermaid Song’. It’s a song we wrote based on the Cornish folk story about the Mermaid of Zennor. The song is romantic but also dark, and as it progresses, a change occurs in the music and it morphs into something quite psychedelic.

I: What are you looking forward to most about performing at the festival?

Darren and Lorna: Well, it’s a brand new festival, so we’re excited to visit the site for the first time and meet lots of new people. We’re playing on the Acoustic Stage, and we really love playing smaller stages that give us a chance to interact with people, get a feel for the ambience, and vibe it. That’s the best thing about performing live.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?  

Darren and Lorna: We’re particularly looking forward to seeing Jim Moray, because we’ve followed his music for some time but have never seen him live, and also 3 Daft Monkeys, who are loads of fun to dance around to! There’s also a lot of acts on the Acoustic Stage that we’ve never heard of – festivals are a brilliant way of discovering new music, so we look forward to catching lots of other acts.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Darren and Lorna: After Beardy Folk Festival, we’ll be travelling to Dorset to play ‘Folk On The Quay’ – a fantastic free festival which is organised by the masterminds that also created the wonderful Purbeck Valley Folk Festival. We’re also looking forward to playing Cornwall Folk Festival in August, and Glastonbury Abbey in September. We’ve got a really busy summer ahead, with lots of gigs in country pubs and smaller festivals too.

SKERRYVORE

Playing on the Main Stage at 10.30pm on Saturday 23rd June. For further information on Skerryvore visit http://skerryvore.com.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Alec from Skerryvore: Skerryvore create a unique fusion of folk, trad, rock and Americana that represents all the different personalities and upbringing of the 8 band members who hail from different regions of Scotland

 

I: Describe your music in five words?

Alec: Traditional, contemporary, progressive, raucous, uplifting.

 

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Alec: Usually our favourite song to perform is the latest single because it’s what you’ve most recently put all the hard work into and it’s still raw and fresh to perform. Our latest single is ‘Take My Hand’ And it’s great to get the audience reaction on a song they’ve probably never heard before.

 

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Alec: It’s always fun to play to a new audience and we love playing at music festivals. It’s an exciting challenge to convince an audience to join you in having a great time.

 

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Alec: I think the most interesting part about seeing other artists at a music festival is discovering a hidden gem that you’ve never heard before so we’re looking forward to discovering and adding some new music to the soundtrack of long van journeys.

 

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Alec: The next big one in the calendar after Beardy is Moonbeams Festival at the Wold Top Brewery in Yorkshire. It’s a fantastic festival run by our lovely friend and booking agent Leila and we’re the patrons so it’s always one for us to look forward to!  

GARY STEWART’S GRACELAND

Playing on the Main Stage at 5.15pm on Sunday 24th June.

I:  Tell us more about yourselves?

Gary: We’re a bunch of Yorkshire-based happy-go lucky musicians who get together to play this awesome Album of South African music. The band comprises of musicians from other bands-three of us play in Hope & Social,one of us plays in Wilful Missing and our drummer used to play for Nightmares On Wax and is currently Peven Everett’s drummer.

 

I: Describe your music in five words?

Gary: Sunny. Jangly. Harmony. Drenched. Loviness.

 

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Gary: I love playing The Boy In The Bubble as it’s our opening number, and it sets the rest of the show for us. And I just love the opening with the massive drums and accordion!

 

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Gary: It’s a new Festival so there is the expectation that we’ll play to a whole bunch of new people and that these people will come and see us play ‘Graceland’ again and again 🙂 Also,if it’s sunny then I’m looking forward to playing a lovely stage of lovely people in the Sun!

 

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?  

Gary: Urban Folk Quartet! Chris Helme is amazing. What a voice. My mate Dan Webster is also playing so I’ll be sure to catch him also.

 

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Gary: More Festivals Ha! We have Moonbeams, Respect Festival, Just So, Head For The Hills to play and then we’re off to Portugal in October for Costa Del Folk (and a long awaited holiday!).

3 DAFT MONKEYS

Playing on the Main Stage at 8.15pm on Sunday 24th June. For further information on 3 Daft Monkeys visit www.3daftmonkeys.co.uk.

 

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Tim from 3 Daft Monkeys: Bringing vibrant and sparkling new songs from their new album “Year of the Clown”, festival favourites 3 Daft Monkeys return to perform a brand new set of their quirky, original and upbeat fiddle-driven tunes. Now with a four-piece line-up, the band are taking their famously dynamic live show to new danceable dizzy heights.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Tim: Lyrical, Tuneful, Danceable, Wild and Original

 

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Tim: Year Of The Clown as it’s new and relevant

 

I: What are you looking forward to most about performing at the festival?

Tim: Playing to a whole new audience is always a buzz.

 

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Tim: Never seen Urban Folk Quartet but heard good reports.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Tim: Lot’s more Festivals !!!

And finally … www.lastnightnightidreamtof.co.uk interviewed Kathyrn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, who will be performing on the Main Stage at 2.30pm on Sunday 24th June, to promote their new album Personae. To read the interview click here

Categories
Festival Interviews

Beardy Folk Festival 2018 – Artist Interviews – Part #1

Hi all, hope the sun is as radiant as ever wherever you are!

We thought we would take a moment to bring you some words about an upcoming festival in Cleobury Mortimer, it is called the “Beardy Folk Festival.”

In Shropshire and it’s first year Beardy Folk Festival is looking like a stand out event. You might often hear us wax lyrical about festivals, but this one is particularly special.

First of all, the artists. For the first of it’s kind it has attracted a good, wide beardy net of well known folksters. For starters you have “Skerryvore”, “False Lights”, “Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman”, “Grace Petrie”, “Granny’s Attic”.. the list goes on. Pretty much everyone and their dog is going so it seems like there is a great opportunity to see some big names and hang out within a 19th Century walled garden (this does seem like a very nice dream).

But it’s not just that, there is a nice selection of other activities too. Lots of stuff for children (under 13’s go free), enchanted woods, storytelling, and for a adults freestyle yoga, a cocktail bar and real ale. There should be plenty of fine things to eat too if you get fed up of beans on the camping stove!

Anyway.. the festival begins on 22nd June 2018 and ends on 24th June 2018. In the meantime get yourself to the website here, and check out in more detail!

In anticipation of the festival, ourselves and our fellow lovely blog “Last Night I Dreamt of” (http://www.lastnightidreamtof.co.uk/) reached out to some of the artists for some interviews.

This is part one of our interview sessions, starting with “False Lights.”

False Lights

At the forefront of Folk Festivals for the last year or two, we have to admit we haven’t yet heard their set. Boo.. I hear you say, but we are hoping to rectify that this year.

Sounding positively interesting and wide reaching, False Lights are playing on the Main Stage at 10.30pm on Friday 22nd June. For further information on False Lights visit http://falselights.co.uk/harmonograph. In addition, Jim Moray will be playing on the Main Stage at 7.30pm on Saturday 23rd June.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Jim from False Lights: False Lights was formed by Sam Carter and Jim Moray to try to play traditional songs and the 90s guitar music we’d grown up with at the same time. We invited some more of our favourite musicians to join us and released our first album Salvor in 2015. People seemed to like it so we thought we ought to to keep pushing further and our second, Harmonograph, was released in February.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Jim: Space folk guitars fiddle. Marmalade.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Jim: With two albums to draw on we get to choose the most enjoyable songs for every set, but I think we all love to play our customary set-closer Crossing The Bar. Its a poem by Tennyson, set to a church/anthemic/samba arrangement and ends with a 16-bar drum solo which is the most uplifting way to play a song about positivity around death.

I: What are you looking for to most about performing at the festival?

Jim: Everything we’ve seen of the festival so far looks really exciting, so we hope to be able to bring what we do to a like-minded audience in an idyllic location. Because Beardy Folk is a new festival there is a great opportunity for the audience to help define the feel of the event and shape the direction it takes in the future. Finding new ways to showcase our kind of music is what we live for, so we’re incredibly pleased to be invited to play.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Jim: Our friends Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, Jess Morgan and Kitty McFarlane are all great. And, as we said above, this band grew up in the Britpop years so its only right that we go and see Chris Helme.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Jim: We’ll be playing a few shows in the autumn and spring. Sam and Jim both have tentative solo albums out in 2019, and then we’ll regroup again after that to try to push the ideas we have in False Lights further again. There’s loads that we want to do, the difficulty is just in deciding which to devote the time to. But that’s the best kind of problem to have!

Joshua Burnell Band

We saw the Joshua Burnell Band last year at “Beverley Folk Festival”. It was pretty much music to go questing to with it’s rather epic, catchy melodies and steel determination of the band to entertain. They are playing on the Main Stage at 1.30pm on Saturday 23rd June. For further information visit www.joshuaburnell.co.uk.

I: Tell us more about yourselves?

Josh: Matt is responsible for the lower end of our frequency range, and has been for every other band in York at some stage. He’s from Texas and makes a wicked potato salad. Frances ‘Fe’ Sladen is the one with the magnificent voice that makes everyone stop what they’re doing and listen. She also looks scarily like me when we both wear sunglasses, which has led to the band game of ‘Is-it-Josh-or-is-it-Fe?!’ involving tour photos and a catchy theme tune. We’re fairly certain we’re not related, which is just as well, since we’re getting married in August. Nathan is like Brian May combined with Steve Hackett. Even though he is the band member with the highest centre of gravity, he loves a good stage dive. Holly is the latest addition to our band. She’s a superb fiddle player and very friendly and at the time of writing this, I’ve only met her twice. I’m sure I’ll have much more to say about her in July. Ed’s an ex-policeman, and now full time Dad and drummer. He told me to tell everyone that he’s ‘dangerous’ and certainly not a ‘cutie’ or ‘sweet’. And I’m a part-time primary teacher and part-time dreamer, and spend most of my efforts trying to find ways to pull everyone else into my dreamworld with me!

I: Describe your music in five words?

Josh: Energetic, ambitious, enthralling, fun, hopefully.

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Josh: Blackleg Miner. It starts off with a super-folky a cappella introduction and I feel like I channel Maddy Prior for a brief moment. Then, at the end, the whole band gets to rock out with blistering solos on electric guitar, fiddle, bass, drums and 30 watts of distorted Hammond organ, just as they have done for centuries throughout the folk tradition.

I: What are you looking forward to most about performing at the festival?

Josh: Whenever we play – or even just gather in the same room – we have such a great time. When there’s an audience, that translates and everyone in the room has a great time. I also just love being on a stage, making a massive, loud noise – who wouldn’t? It’s amazing to be part of a brand-new festival, so I think this is going to be one we look back on very fondly at the end of the year.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?  

Josh: Jim Moray does some beautiful things with traditional material, and since I’ve been doing my Seasons ‘song-per-week’ Project, I’ve had to get completely immersed trad music. It’ll be really exciting to hear some traditional ballads live, especially played by someone as accomplished as Jim Moray.

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Josh: Festivals, festivals and more festivals, then yet another album. A highlight will definitely be playing the main stage at The Great British Folk Festival in December. It’ll be one of our biggest audiences to date, and we’ll be playing stuff from the next album; The Road To Horn Fair.

Eric Sedge

Eric Sedge is seemingly like a meteor, he has made huge strides in a relatively short time. With quite punchy acoustic songs and the ability to hold an audience, he is playing on the Acoustic Stage at 4pm on Saturday 23rd June. For further information visit https://ericsedgemusic.com.

I: Tell us more about yourself?

Eric: I first arrived on the folk scene in 2010 as one half of a duo called “The Broadside Boys. We played a lot of gigs regionally in East Anglia at Folk clubs and festivals till Mat my partner, was diagnosed with serious illness and had to withdraw from gigging. since then I have been performing as a solo singer/guitarist. I am currently on my second UK tour as special guest of Richard Digance.

I: Describe your music in five words?

Eric: Three chords and the Truth!

I: What’s your favourite song to perform and why?

Eric: Oooh a bit of a toughie! Probably the songs in which the audience are encouraged to sing along to, at least on a good night it tells me that they have engaged with my performance and are with me…..which is a lovely feeling.

I: What are you looking forward to most about performing at the festival?

Eric: The best thing about festivals is being able to play to a different audience, and having the opportunity to make new friends, but also to see other artists and be inspired by what they are doing.

I: Who else are you looking forward to seeing perform at the festival?

Eric: Even though I have seen Richard Digance play a hundred times I always look forward to seeing him perform. There’s always something to be learnt from watching a master at work!

I: What’s next for you after the festival?

Eric: I am touring with Richard through to the end of the year, I also have some solo dates in Scotland in October, as well as Summer festivals including Cropredy in August, and the Great British Folk Weekend in December…..so lots to look forward to.

So this rounds up Part #1 of our interviews, stay tuned for Part #2 where we speak to “Fly Yeti Fly”, “Skerryvore”, and “Gary Stewart’s Graceland.”

And don’t forget to check out the Beardy Folk Festival website.. get yourself there for its inaugural year, be a part of history! https://www.beardyfolkfestival.co.uk/

Categories
Acoustic Americana British Country Dark Folk Debut Festival Folk Music Folk Pop Gigs Political

Hebden Bridge Folk and Roots Festival 2018 – What you missed

Hi I hope everyone’s good and enjoying the sun!

So it’s been a few weeks since the Hebden Bridge Folk and Roots Festival, where the sun started to emerge and the musicians came out to entertain. We had quite a few highlights from the festival with (for us) an array of new talent and artists to share with the world.

Stay with us a while and have a read and listen to some of the acts that you missed!

THE LANDLUBBERS, MORRIS AND.. BACK TO THE FUTURE?

The weather was as fine as could be, so a little outdoor song and dance always goes down well.
Near the bridge in the Town Centre we came across a motley group of Landlubbers (we wonder if they hate the sea or they were the tailend of an insult and the name stuck). However their name came to be they were as briny a crew or shanty singers as you could want. We thoroughly enjoyed their singing so much it made us wonder if their boat was on the river behind. A good crowd, and a great part of the festival.

There was some Morris Dancing as well! You can’t have a Folk Festival without a bit of Morris (knowing my luck I won’t have to  sit too long at my computer desk and await a festival without Morris to get in touch!) It was good to see an all-woman Morris Dance, and here they all are.. I presume as washerwomen. That reminds me, I have some shirts to dry! Heres a video to whet your dancing needs.

Ok.. we know that Chuck Berry did it long before it featured heavily in that 80s sci-fi comedy classic, but I’m a relatively young guy.. it’s the first thing that comes to mind. I have to sadly regret that I did not get these guys’ names as we were just passing, but we seriously felt that it was a great energetic aside to the day.

TRIXXI CORISH

 

On Sunday we got to see a few artists in the excellent Trades Club where the beer flowed liberally. It was also a fine place to be eating a bit of Thai food that was on the go as well. One relatively new artist was Trixxi Corish a singer-songwriter covering a number of different genres including folk and country, but intriguingly she brought some spoken word as well. Despite a disclaimer at the beginning of the set that she had a bad throat, she went on to sing a number of traditional tunes as well as an excellent cover of “Fields of Gold.” Her monologue about a Southern Irish woman managing with anxiety and depression was really thoughtful and natural; she has strengths in song and in word. A great up-and-coming artist and spoken word performer, we saw some magic there, and we raise our glass to her future successes (especially if this was not her running at 100% !).

LOGAN & MANLEY

There were many fine artists to be seen amongst the picturesque surroundings and the old cobbled paths, it is a mammoth task narrowing it down. But as the mind’s eye roves back over the festival the clear breakout from the festival for us was Logan and Manley. As soulful as a spicy tea and a demonstration of a charging elephant into the music scene, Logan & Manley were something else indeed. Breaking the civility of Folk Gigs and getting people dancing to their sultry, emotional beat they kicked serious ass. As we said on Twitter:

“The most interesting duo we have seen live in recent memory. Exceptional presence and burning talent. Logan & Manley stole the show in many ways at Hebden Folk Roots Festival. Soulful and energetic they work it with unfettered talent.”

Their simple pairing of vocals and guitar with added flourishes of percussion and a good use of looping vocals brought the house down. Some favourites of what they performed included the “Tell Him (Her)” a cover of Lauryn Hill, the warm rush of frothy milk on expensive coffee of “Meteor Shower” (the opener), and “Wait a While”, a jazz/funk backing which should do plenty to cement the pair as icons.

Forward in style and approach, a ferociously dynamic presence, and great musicianship could be enough to convert this website to “Soul Phenomena.” Do not miss under any circumstances.

HENRY PRIESTMAN, LES GLOVER AND THE MEN OF A CERTAIN AGE

As the day turned to night, Henry Priestman et al. reminded us that in a rather jolly fashion that in  that transitional stage of life akin to being a teenager, things can stop making a lot of sense. In fairness, it wasn’t a set that dwelt on the twilight years experience as there were plenty of politics (Goodbye Common Sense, Not In My Name), folk (Ghost of a Thousand Fishermen), and fatherhood (He Ain’t Good Enough For You, We Used to Be You). With songs that are always something different and a good connection with the audience you are always on to a winner.

From what we saw from the festival of a whole, Priestman and band were of the most energetic and delightfully irreverent in all the best ways. Accessible, catchy and pop-infused it was supported by songwriting not unlike strong, thick treated timber cladding. If the music garden of your mind requires something extra, these guys are the shed you have been looking for.

THE HARMONY JAR

 

For the cheery, dream-like “in between” time from the early morning entertainment and the build up to the evening showstoppers we had the pleasure of listening to the trio known as “The Harmony Jar.” Rather melancholic but also soothing and touching, The Harmony Jar excel as Americana, perhaps how you imagine the killer knots on a barbed wire of a fence. Singing about love, the prickling apologies of loss and leaving a husband (How We Part), angst through ukulele (Before You Are Through) and a more than serviceable cover of “The Way it Goes”, The Harmony Jar bit off a lot, but it wasn’t more than they could chew on. One of our favourites, we look forward to hearing from them in the future.

WILL KAUFMAN

https://www.willkaufman.com/

At one point during the festival it felt necessary to go rustic.

In terms of American Folk, you can’t get much more old-timey than some Woody Guthrie, who was as much a symbol of protest and liberty as a singer. This is definitely something we can say we like from our folk from time-to-time and Will Kaufman did not disappoint. As his page declares he is, “widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on Woody Guthrie” but it wasn’t just his academic credentials or his musicianship that impressed. He’s a thoroughly nice, extremely knowledgeable guy who told tales of Trump of old (Trump’s father) who was a less than stellar property landlord (with the song, “I ain’t got no home”), Mexicans and about a remarkable individual “Stetson Kennedy” a folklorist who infiltrated the KKK and gave away their secrets and codes to the radio.

There is something incredibly apt about an expert on a pioneer of folk following in his footsteps through both word and song.. Will Kaufman does that and does not disappoint.

And Many More..

There were many, many more great acts too.

Off the top of our heads: Reg Meuross (one of our perennial favourites) was playing his heartfelt, socially conscious brand of acoustic song to great effect, Steve Tilston brought the backbone of folk to the stage, and his daughter Molly Tilston performed a great dark folk set which much, much promise. The Roger Davies Band was one of the most confident and slick on stage and the Jon Palmer Band pretty much cleaned up with their jaunty songs that at times explored the best part of folk-pop. Here are some final clips to get you in the mood.

All-in-all Hebden Bridge was a good time, a great slice of local talent and a testament to West Yorkshire.

This year we liked the central location and how close the venues were to one another meaning it is very difficult to miss the acts you have been dying to see! Great shopping, great food and atmosphere, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what went down at the weekend beneath the warming sun but we hope this brings you a bit of a flavour.

We raise our glasses and hope to see you there next year! Keep your eyes peeled on the website https://www.hebdenfolkroots.org/