What a weekend; probably the best festival I've been to. It was a really good atmosphere; very friendly vibe - smoke-free stages were pleasant - and there seemed to be fewer turf wars than usual between the sitters and the standers as the larger pieces of camping furniture stayed outside. Very good weather too. A bit muddy underfoot yesterday after a downpour on Saturday night, but very little rain during the music.
Friday: Under One Sky (John McCusker and Friends. "These aren't my real friends. My real friends sell toasters and play football. Which makes for a crap gig."), Show of Hands, Steve Earle, Waterboys. A great night. Especilly when you consider that, between a broken bass string, a flat guitar, a self-unplugging mandolin ("the son-of-a-bitch wasn't plugged into the mother-fucker"), and a forgotten lyric (I'm sure that Yeats' The Stolen Child doesn't start with the word "Shit"), something went wrong for every artist. As it turned out, the broken bass - and the run-around to replace it, allowed McCusker time to include an impromptu accapella interlude from John Tams and Julie Fowlis. Under One Sky was breath-taking in it's ambition - which it just about reached. Highlight of the night was undoubtedly the Waterboys. As brilliant as they were disappointing the last time I saw them. I had to wipe away a tear during The Whole of the Moon. Wonderful.
Saturday: First Rachel Unthank set of the weekend. I'd bought the new album on Friday night - even better than their debut - so I knew it would be good. But not quite how good. The best folk album I've bought this year, a certainty for my best of 2007 (it's s toss-up between Blue Bleezing Blind Drunk and their version of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song for my favourite track); they are a superb live act. The between-song humour gives their set a real folk club feel, but the musicianship - especially the sisters' harmonies, but also the piano and fiddle arrangements - set this act apart. And I never thought that I would find clog dancing sexy...
The rest of the day didn't quite hit the heights of Friday - plus I was knackered and voiceless. Like many around the field, I was sat back reading Harry Potter whilst listening to Show of Hands and Kate Rusby (there are worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon). The spirits were lifted no end by Bellowhead - the first time I've seen them live, every bit as good as I'd hoped. Still, I got signed copies of Kate's and the Winterset's new albums.
Saturday evening was eclectic - Kate was followed on stage by Fanfare Ciocarlia - the Romanian band best known for their version of Wild Thing in Borat. I enjoyed them more than I did Taraf de Haidouks a few years back. Then Joan Baez - stateswomanlike - but not the most likely warmup act in the world for Toots and the Maytals. Who blew the roof off. A really exciting set to end the night.
Sunday: Martin Simpson with Andy Cutting and Danny Thompson. Great guitar work, a lovely cover of Thommo's Strange Affair, and a gorgeous duet with Kate Rusby. Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain, Rachel Unthank in the club tent, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder - lightning speed bluegrass, Lau, Rachel Unthank again, Toumani Diabate - a great show, Nanci Griffith and finally Bellowhead on stage 2 before heading for home.
So good I saw them twice: Bellowhead, Show of Hands, Rachel Unthank and the Winterset (who I saw three times).
Lowlights: I just don't get the Oysterband, I'm sorry. Dull. Joan Baez ruining a good set by ending with the interminable Imagine.
Unexpected Treats: Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain. Especially Anarchy in the UK in the style of Simon and Garfunkel and Life on Mars, Lau.
Sorry I Missed: Not much really. There was so much good stuff on the main stages that I didn't go to any of the showcase artists in the club tent - which I will probably regret if they become famous. Shooglenifty (clashes with Toots and the Maytals and Bellowhead); C J Chenier (same time as Waterboys); only saw half of Ruthie Foster's set, ditto Bruce Cockburn (though I did see Wondering Where the Lions Are); missed Sharon Shannon on main stage with Steve Earle guesting on Galway Girl. In fact, main stage Friday was pretty incestuous, with Steve and Alison Moorer guesting in each others sets, Sharon Shannon with the Waterboys, and John McCusker, Steve, Mike McGoldrick and Sharon all joining the Waterboys in a rousing This Land is Your Land to close out one of the best nights of music I will ever see.
The weekend seemed to go on forever; hearing Ruthie Foster singing Up Above My Head and Nanci Griffith singing Speed of the Sound of Loneliness, it seemed an age since I'd heard the Alabamas sing them on Thursday.
And maybe I wimped out by not camping - especially since the weather was remarkably well behaved - but it was nice to sleep in a warm bed, wear clean clothes, have a hot bath and stock up on better than average picnic grub, and bottle conditioned City of Cambridge Brewery beers from Waitrose each morning.
The only regret is the feeling that next year's festival can't come close to this. Not much does.
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5 comments:
Sounds splendid...I am determined to go next year.
I guess you will have seen this already, but the Guardian reviewer made the same observation about the volume of Potter readers in the audience:
' half the audience seemed, between acts, to be reading the new Harry Potter.'
Three stars seems a bit tight. Four I would have grudgingly gone along with - but only because it could have been sunny all weekend. Newton Faulkner (who I missed), along with Lau and Seasick Steve (who was on the Today Programme this morning), seems to figure high on many people's lists of pleasant surprises. I don't think I was the only person to be underwhelmed by Joan Baez, who I thought was much better when she played the festival in 2000. Nanci Griffith on the other hand was a real star.
It's strange how it is the Waterboys finale rather than Baez's which is branded cheesy. You know I'm not going to argue with another positive review for the Winterset.
Something else which just came to mind. I thought Kate Rusby was a star for spending two hours signing albums, and chatting with everyone (although helium filled balloons - many of which ended up floating gently over the east side of Cambridge, aren't the most environmentally friendly promotional tool). Free wine (albeit in small doses) from Kate, and cheap fizz from the Unthank girls was a nice touch.
Hmmm.. OK; I've heard the Newton Faulkner, and with the exception of, admittedly, a great mainly acoustic version of Teardrop, I'm not that impressed. Way too folk-pop.
yes I would far rather go with your review than a rather mealy mouthed Guardian 400 word effort, I just found it rather irresistable to ignore the Harry Potter comment!
At least their review acknowledged Cambridge's eclecticism and refusal to abide by musical boundaries.
I heard Seasick Steve this morning, he was terrific, and was keen to point to the origins of his musical style...looking fwd to seeing him at both SSW and Green Man.
but most of all, thanks to you for the nod re. Rachel Unthank, would have passed me by otherwise!
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