Festival Chatter

[davidmjs]

The Present Mrs Kirk is off to All Points East today. No chairs, no food and no drink to be taken in, and you have to download the official app to get in in the first place (which then spams you for upgrades). Oh, and no rucksacks. Already sounds like a right laugh.

No rucksacks is the point at which I would have told them where to get off.  What's up with these idiots?

[Shane (Skirky)]

The Present Mrs Kirk is off to All Points East today. No chairs, no food and no drink to be taken in, and you have to download the official app to get in in the first place (which then spams you for upgrades). Oh, and no rucksacks. Already sounds like a right laugh.

The present? How many do you get through?  

Well, I mean it’s just one so far…

[ColinB]

Back from Towersey and a fine weekend it was too though I missed most of Saturday. Of the headliners, The Blockheads were excellent as were The Spooky Men and I enjoyed The Divine Comedy more than I'd expected to.

Of the folk acts Gnoss, The Young 'Uns and the Sam Sweeney Band were all very good and I finally got to see John Kirkpatrick both solo and with his sons. He's got quite a dry sense of humour has John.

I can see why Merry Hell are so popular as they got the crowd going and herself did a solo set on Sunday afternoon. The sound wasn't great as the drum kit didn't sound like it had been mic'd up properly and the singer's brother on bouzouki was almost inaudible for much of the set but their fiddle player was ace though having the surname Swarbrick you'd kind of expect that.  

Nice location for a festival at Claydon House and good selections of food and drink.

[GubGub (Al)]

Back from Towersey and a fine weekend it was too though I missed most of Saturday. Of the headliners, The Blockheads were excellent as were The Spooky Men and I enjoyed The Divine Comedy more than I'd expected to.

Of the folk acts Gnoss, The Young 'Uns and the Sam Sweeney Band were all very good and I finally got to see John Kirkpatrick both solo and with his sons. He's got quite a dry sense of humour has John.

I can see why Merry Hell are so popular as they got the crowd going and herself did a solo set on Sunday afternoon. The sound wasn't great as the drum kit didn't sound like it had been mic'd up properly and the singer's brother on bouzouki was almost inaudible for much of the set but their fiddle player was ace though having the surname Swarbrick you'd kind of expect that.  

Nice location for a festival at Claydon House and good selections of food and drink.

Bob's bouzouki is usually largely inaudible but he earns his place on the stage by writing many of the songs both for MH and the Tansads for many years before them.

I saw Spooky Men in Shoreham on Friday night so they had a busy weekend and a long journey. They were wonderful on Friday.

[Nick Reg]

Back from Towersey and a fine weekend it was too though I missed most of Saturday. Of the headliners, The Blockheads were excellent as were The Spooky Men and I enjoyed The Divine Comedy more than I'd expected to.

Of the folk acts Gnoss, The Young 'Uns and the Sam Sweeney Band were all very good and I finally got to see John Kirkpatrick both solo and with his sons. He's got quite a dry sense of humour has John.

I can see why Merry Hell are so popular as they got the crowd going and herself did a solo set on Sunday afternoon. The sound wasn't great as the drum kit didn't sound like it had been mic'd up properly and the singer's brother on bouzouki was almost inaudible for much of the set but their fiddle player was ace though having the surname Swarbrick you'd kind of expect that.  

Nice location for a festival at Claydon House and good selections of food and drink.

Bob's bouzouki is usually largely inaudible but he earns his place on the stage by writing many of the songs both for MH and the Tansads for many years before them.

I saw Spooky Men in Shoreham on Friday night so they had a busy weekend and a long journey. They were wonderful on Friday.

Not on the albums it isnt.

[ColinB]

I can see why Merry Hell are so popular as they got the crowd going and herself did a solo set on Sunday afternoon. The sound wasn't great as the drum kit didn't sound like it had been mic'd up properly and the singer's brother on bouzouki was almost inaudible for much of the set but their fiddle player was ace though having the surname Swarbrick you'd kind of expect that.  

Bob's bouzouki is usually largely inaudible but he earns his place on the stage by writing many of the songs both for MH and the Tansads for many years before them.

With that top hat, from a distance Bob looks quite like Jerry Sadowitz. But yes I gathered he is their main songwriter along with Virginia. I'd certainly go see her on her own again as I enjoyed her solo set.

Re the previous discussion about their politics, their song Leave It in the Ground went down well as did Virginia's song about Greta Thunberg. Nice line about getting on the cover of Running Out of Time magazine.

I would've liked to have heard Drunken Serenade but apart from that it was a good set list.

[Nick Reg]

I can see why Merry Hell are so popular as they got the crowd going and herself did a solo set on Sunday afternoon. The sound wasn't great as the drum kit didn't sound like it had been mic'd up properly and the singer's brother on bouzouki was almost inaudible for much of the set but their fiddle player was ace though having the surname Swarbrick you'd kind of expect that.  

Bob's bouzouki is usually largely inaudible but he earns his place on the stage by writing many of the songs both for MH and the Tansads for many years before them.

With that top hat, from a distance Bob looks quite like Jerry Sadowitz. But yes I gathered he is their main songwriter along with Virginia. I'd certainly go see her on her own again as I enjoyed her solo set.

Re the previous discussion about their politics, their song Leave It in the Ground went down well as did Virginia's song about Greta Thunberg. Nice line about getting on the cover of Running Out of Time magazine.

I would've liked to have heard Drunken Serenade but apart from that it was a good set list.

You would certainly hear Bob on Drunken Serenade!! John is one of the main songwriters , Bob is slightly less prolific than John and Virginia but his songs are superb.

[GubGub (Al)]

I can see why Merry Hell are so popular as they got the crowd going and herself did a solo set on Sunday afternoon. The sound wasn't great as the drum kit didn't sound like it had been mic'd up properly and the singer's brother on bouzouki was almost inaudible for much of the set but their fiddle player was ace though having the surname Swarbrick you'd kind of expect that.  

Bob's bouzouki is usually largely inaudible but he earns his place on the stage by writing many of the songs both for MH and the Tansads for many years before them.

With that top hat, from a distance Bob looks quite like Jerry Sadowitz. But yes I gathered he is their main songwriter along with Virginia. I'd certainly go see her on her own again as I enjoyed her solo set.

Re the previous discussion about their politics, their song Leave It in the Ground went down well as did Virginia's song about Greta Thunberg. Nice line about getting on the cover of Running Out of Time magazine.

I would've liked to have heard Drunken Serenade but apart from that it was a good set list.

Virginia's solo album is an absolute treat. It was my favourite album of the year in which it came out despite Merry Hell (and indeed Bob Dylan) releasing excellent records themselves during the same period. Moon is a glorious song.

[ColinB]

Virginia's solo album is an absolute treat. It was my favourite album of the year in which it came out despite Merry Hell (and indeed Bob Dylan) releasing excellent records themselves during the same period. Moon is a glorious song.

Cheers Gub. I'll check that one out.

Forgot to say that I saw most of Joshua Burnell's set and his music grew on me as it went on. Unlike Merry Hell his drummer was a bit high in the mix so I moved outside the marquee and it sounded better from there.

Couple of other bands to mention. I'd been looking forward to hearing Nickel Creek, being a fan of Sara Watkins from the I'm With Her band, but they left me cold. They're good musicians and singers but it was like they were just trying a bit too hard to be different.

But Molotov Jukebox, who'd been on the main stage before them, were great. Perfect festival band with a Latino feel to their music which got everyone up dancing.

[David W]

Moseley tomorrow - Graham Nash and Squeeze topping the bill, undercard looks a bit thin but I am sure it'll be great.

Never been before so looking forward to a change from Cropredy.

Any thoughtrs?

DW

[davidmjs]

Moseley tomorrow - Graham Nash and Squeeze topping the bill, undercard looks a bit thin but I am sure it'll be great.

Never been before so looking forward to a change from Cropredy.

Any thoughtrs?

DW

I've never been but I know people that really like it.

The Saturday, I struggle to see anything I'm interested in at all other than Rozi Plain

Fri: Gwenno

Sun: Angeline Morrison, Stornoway, Granny's Attic, Burd Ellen would all be on my list...

[David W]

Good day at Moseley yesterday.

Graham Nash was excellent and his voice has really held up considering he is over 80.

Squeeze - all killers no fillers.

Gwenno - Welsh / Cornish singer who would go a storm at Cropredy.

BUT drinks stupidly expensive and not allowed to take your own in.

DW

[davidmjs]

Gwenno - Welsh / Cornish singer who would go a storm at Cropredy.

I adore Gwenno, but I'd have thought she'd way too leftfield for Croppers?  Hey...that's a thought...Leftfield?!  

[ColinB]

Good day at Moseley yesterday.

Graham Nash was excellent and his voice has really held up considering he is over 80.

Looking on setlist.fm he's playing some good songs from across the years including the C&N songs To The Last Whale and Southbound Train. Just listening to the Best of Crosby & Nash.

Somewhat bizarrely it says he's playing at the British Country Music Festival in Blackpool tonight.

Here's the Bexhill set list -
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/graham-nash/2023/de-la-warr-pavilion-bexhill-england-ba54d8e.html

[Sue & Chris]

Good day at Moseley yesterday.

Graham Nash was excellent and his voice has really held up considering he is over 80.

Squeeze - all killers no fillers.

Gwenno - Welsh / Cornish singer who would go a storm at Cropredy.

BUT drinks stupidly expensive and not allowed to take your own in.

DW

Agree about Graham Nash and Squeeze (best I've seen them.) Don't think Gwenno is right for Cropredy at all, though. Wild Rivers however, who played today, yes please!

I thought the beer was reasonably priced for a festival - £5:50 for a pint of cask ale. Similar to Cropredy?

[Nick]

Spent a very enjoyable weekend at a brand new and absolutely tiny festival called SeptemberSong.

I've been to many festivals, and seen most of the bands I want to see. I'm generally happy to bimble along whoever's playing, but this little event pulled a great many rabbits out of the hat. The following were all brilliant:

Robyn Hitchcock - clearly one badger in excess of a sett.
Those Pretty Wrongs - super harmonies and 12-string work from Luther Russell and former Big Star, Jodie Stephens.
Michele Stodart - Rockin' mum from The Magic Numbers.
Matthew Caws - rare solo outing for the main man from New York alt-rock band Nada Surf.
RJ McKendree* - American singer, here to perform his cult 1968 psychedelic classic, Wallflower
Annie Keating - British born Americana, rightly compared with Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams
Ralfe Band - a great return of the properly bonkers purveyors of Horse-Drawn Techno
Flights of Helios - my favourite psych rock band
Everything Else - very, very youthful shoegaze

And then there was Steady Habits, Hannah Rose Platt, The Breeze, Kate Elssis, My Girl The River, Lisa Doscher, Katy Rose Bennett, and a good many others - And that's setting aside the sets from the organisers, Joe and Robin Bennett, who led a playthrough of Neil Young's Harvest as well as sets with Danny Wilson and their own Dreaming Spires.

Basically, not a duff note all weekend.

Wood Festival will be back in May and will be similar in line-up and feel. I hope September Songs got enough traction to grow into a regular fixture too.

Cheers

Nick

*Not actually released in 1968... In truth, not strictly a real album, though it has now been written to suit the fact that it was written about... Oh, and RJ McKendree is not American. He's not even a real person for that matter. He's played by Will Twynham who has created music to sit alongside the central plotline of Tom Cox's novel, Villager. A recommended read and a recommended listen!

[davidmjs]

Spent a very enjoyable weekend at a brand new and absolutely tiny festival called SeptemberSong.

I've been to many festivals, and seen most of the bands I want to see. I'm generally happy to bimble along whoever's playing, but this little event pulled a great many rabbits out of the hat. The following were all brilliant:

Robyn Hitchcock - clearly one badger in excess of a sett.
Those Pretty Wrongs - super harmonies and 12-string work from Luther Russell and former Big Star, Jodie Stephens.
Michele Stodart - Rockin' mum from The Magic Numbers.
Matthew Caws - rare solo outing for the main man from New York alt-rock band Nada Surf.
RJ McKendree* - American singer, here to perform his cult 1968 psychedelic classic, Wallflower
Annie Keating - British born Americana, rightly compared with Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams
Ralfe Band - a great return of the properly bonkers purveyors of Horse-Drawn Techno
Flights of Helios - my favourite psych rock band
Everything Else - very, very youthful shoegaze

And then there was Steady Habits, Hannah Rose Platt, The Breeze, Kate Elssis, My Girl The River, Lisa Doscher, Katy Rose Bennett, and a good many others - And that's setting aside the sets from the organisers, Joe and Robin Bennett, who led a playthrough of Neil Young's Harvest as well as sets with Danny Wilson and their own Dreaming Spires.

Basically, not a duff note all weekend.

Wood Festival will be back in May and will be similar in line-up and feel. I hope September Songs got enough traction to grow into a regular fixture too.

Cheers

Nick

*Not actually released in 1968... In truth, not strictly a real album, though it has now been written to suit the fact that it was written about... Oh, and RJ McKendree is not American. He's not even a real person for that matter. He's played by Will Twynham who has created music to sit alongside the central plotline of Tom Cox's novel, Villager. A recommended read and a recommended listen!

Looks fab.  How tiny was tiny?

[Nick]

Spent a very enjoyable weekend at a brand new and absolutely tiny festival called SeptemberSong.

Looks fab.  How tiny was tiny?

About 200 people tops. No queues for food or drinks!

[Nick Reg]

Spent a very enjoyable weekend at a brand new and absolutely tiny festival called SeptemberSong.

I've been to many festivals, and seen most of the bands I want to see. I'm generally happy to bimble along whoever's playing, but this little event pulled a great many rabbits out of the hat. The following were all brilliant:

Robyn Hitchcock - clearly one badger in excess of a sett.
Those Pretty Wrongs - super harmonies and 12-string work from Luther Russell and former Big Star, Jodie Stephens.
Michele Stodart - Rockin' mum from The Magic Numbers.
Matthew Caws - rare solo outing for the main man from New York alt-rock band Nada Surf.
RJ McKendree* - American singer, here to perform his cult 1968 psychedelic classic, Wallflower
Annie Keating - British born Americana, rightly compared with Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams
Ralfe Band - a great return of the properly bonkers purveyors of Horse-Drawn Techno
Flights of Helios - my favourite psych rock band
Everything Else - very, very youthful shoegaze

And then there was Steady Habits, Hannah Rose Platt, The Breeze, Kate Elssis, My Girl The River, Lisa Doscher, Katy Rose Bennett, and a good many others - And that's setting aside the sets from the organisers, Joe and Robin Bennett, who led a playthrough of Neil Young's Harvest as well as sets with Danny Wilson and their own Dreaming Spires.

Basically, not a duff note all weekend.

Wood Festival will be back in May and will be similar in line-up and feel. I hope September Songs got enough traction to grow into a regular fixture too.

Cheers


Nick

*Not actually released in 1968... In truth, not strictly a real album, though it has now been written to suit the fact that it was written about... Oh, and RJ McKendree is not American. He's not even a real person for that matter. He's played by Will Twynham who has created music to sit alongside the central plotline of Tom Cox's novel, Villager. A recommended read and a recommended listen!

Sounds great , Robin Bennett is a really nice bloke.

[Ian_]

 I love that 'RJ McKendree' album - one of my favourites of the last few years. I didn't know he was playing live - must look out for shows. Thanks Nick!