Folk and Roots - Cambridge Folk Festival 2010

Cambridge Folk Festival 2010

Thursday

Every year since Folk and Roots has been covering the Cambridge Folk Festival it has been raining on Thursday as I arrive at Coldham’s Common. I’m delighted to report that this year there was a break with tradition and the storm clouds stayed away, leaving my to pitch my tent and ubiquitous flag pole at my leisure before making my way by festival bus to the main arena. The lack of rain wasn’t the only break with tradition; there have been a number of changes at the festival. Maybe the Festival committee are listening to the views of their customers. It could the recession or the ever increasing number of small festivals springing up around the country; time will tell…

Only Stage Two and the Club tent open today and after eating tea at the Blue Moon vegetarian food stall I made my way to the marquee to catch the end of local Cambridge band Ezio. This guitar duo has been around long enough to release five albums, and whilst I wasn’t there long enough to judge properly they seemed a little like ‘Show of Hands’ without the storytelling.

Next band, Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends were extremely popular with everyone and probably should have been further up the bill. Named after the town of their origin, this ten strong male vocal group sing sea shanties and other nautical tunes. Or should that be ‘Tunes’?
Innuendo and comedy abounded, the crowd laughed and cheered, and most surprising of all, this group can actually sing- proper harmony stuff with infectious enjoyment and clever arrangements- apparent on songs like ‘Sloop John B’. A ‘must see again’ band, for sure.

Lissie was next- an American girl from Illinois now resident in the UK to promote her new album. Not that she mentioned it at all!
A slender blonde singer, Lissie played electric guitar with her band of three, a strong electric blues sound that seemed to go down really well with some of the audience.

Last up was Stornoway, riding successfully on the back of the Mumford and sons wave. Two sets of brothers amongst this five piece Oxford band, who successfully managed to recreate the perfect pop sound of their debut album ‘Beachcomber’s windowsill’ on the Cambridge stage. Lead singer Brian seems happier singing than talking, particularly on solo ‘November Song’- a self penned new folk classic, in my opinion! Running a bit late, they left the stage after the grand finale of ‘Zorbing’, solid professional finish to the first night at Cambridge.

Friday

Despite the noisy neighbours insistence on discussing Carole King's Tapestry very loudly at three in the morning, I slept well , and was delighted to find that Friday had dawned warm and sunny. A trip to the leisure centre at the back of the common for the showers, and a cooked breakfast, campfire style, in front of our tents, and I was ready to face the day!

A queue for the festival bus to the main arena meant I was late for Breabach, the Scottish five piece that, like me, are fresh from the HebCelt! However , it meant I was in the right place for the Quebe Sisters, from Texas. These girls turned out to be an unexpected delight on a Friday afternoon- three champion fiddle playing sisters from Texas who are over in the UK for the first time. The girls sing harmony vocals and are accompanied by two much older guys on guitar and 'bass fiddle'. They play an old school country style, singing everything from the Mills Brothers to Hank Williams and leaving the audience feeling like they'd just stepped onto a 1940s American film set.

Stage One got busier for the next act, a one off collaboration between Irish rockabilly diva Imelda may and her fellow compatriot Sharon Shannon. I'm lucky enough to have seen both girls perform before, but with very different styles I was interested to see how it would work. It was Sharon who appeared first with her traditional Irish band. Sharon is a lovely warm performer, generous in her praise and support of others, and this was apparent in her admiration of Imelda, who came on to sing a few songs at a time. Imelda has a raw, rough and gorgeous voice, every song she sings is passionate and believable- in fact my only criticism of this very watchable union is that at times Sharon's band seemed a bit lost in Imelda's blues/rockabilly sound. Still brilliant though, and Galway Girl makes everyone happy!

After Imelda and Sharon left the stage there was a mid afternoon break of half an hour or so. I've never quite understood why- maybe so the audience can eat, or the stage crew can rest? Anyway, it gave me time to eat some dinner and visit the Folknet Cafe to post my latest blog, before heading back to Stage 1 for Seth Lakeman. The first act that I'd seen being recorded for the BBC tv show, he was introduced by Mark Radcliffe; Seth's set was a quick fifty minute trip through all his albums, starting with the excellent 'Hearts and Minds' from his album of the same name, released this month. A good solid set, with Seth as excellent as always, even if his good looks make him a perfect candidate for 'Folk Idol' and turn some people off him. Kitty Jay, his trademark solo was outstanding.

Imagined Village were next, the Simon Emmerson - created band that represents life in modern Britain, or a proportion of its residents at any rate. Sheila Mukherjee and a pregnant Eliza Carthy sang a dark song that led into a mad passionate dance frenzy, and Johhny Kalsi, showman as always, received a huge amount of applause of his dhol drum solo. Having seen Imagined Village before, I felt today they seemed down, the whole set dark; although that could indeed just be a clever representation of modern life, who knows?!
It maybe wasn't helped by the dark black clouds hanging over the arena, which chose that moment to break open and soak everyone around.

Looking for something lighter, I ran to Stage 2, dodging the puddles,and was enormously cheered up by Mama Rosin - a Cajun deep South loving trio from Switzerland. Yes, I know, Switzerland doesn't seem the most likely choice for a Cajun band, but it works, and they had the audience on their feet and dancing!

I was looking forward to seeing the Unusual Suspects, a fifteen piece collective arriving at Cambridge courtesy of the Scottish Showcase. A huge display of talent, including all of Breabach, Anna Massie, Mairearad Green and led by Corrina Hewat; the first fifteen minutes were sheer orchestral brilliance. Exciting split rhythms that bounce from one section of the orchestra to the other, tunes that stop suddenly, or change direction and become something else entirely. All great, but after the first few tunes the set seemd to lose its way a bit, with the inclusion of a few songs that didn't lend themselves to this big band setting.

The Wonderstuff suddenly seemed quite appealing and I arrived in time to catch the last few songs of their set, sadly missing 'The Size of a Cow' but grinning none the less as I left to catch the festival bus home to the campsite.

Saturday

I woke to the muffled sound of campers moving around Coldham’s Common in the drizzling rain and peered out of my tent to see the campsite under a thick grey cloud. As I went off to the leisure centre for a shower there was the usual mixed response to the weather; some people weren’t prepared at all, and had been sleeping in their cars as their tents had leaked, others were stoically carrying on as normal, frying bacon, and discussing the previous day’s highlights. That’s one of the nicest parts of this festival; people’s willingness to share their favourite bands and give tips and advice to newcomers. It happens anywhere too, in the queue for the bus, at the swimming pool, in Sainsbury’s…

I got to the Folknet café in time to post Friday’s blog before heading off to Stage 2 to see Brian MacNeill’s session. This happens every year and is a great opportunity to catch little bits of new (and old!) acts in a relaxed setting, often with musicians appearing in other bands line ups too; very like the Festival Clubs run late into the night at both Celtic Connections and HebCelt. I saw Sam Carter and Sean Taylor, both up and coming singer-songwriters, English folkstress Fay Hield singing a capela, Feis Rois- the young Hebridean five piece fresh from the HebCelt, Staffordshire born singer Jackie Oates- the 2009 Folk Awards winner, and collaborations from Breabach, some of the Julie Fowlis Band and the Muckleloons. My highlight was seeing Adam Brown and Adam Macleod- a traditional Irish duo previously in No ID, sounding as confident and competent as musicians many years older.

All this good music and it was still only lunch time as I went over to Stage One to catch Carolina Chocolate Drops, a three piece from America playing a mixture of Dixie/Country on all kinds instruments including a pitcher of beer. Listening felt like sitting on the porch of a clapboard house in the deep South of America. Entertaining, and worth seeing again at the Union Chapel this November, if only to listen to their version of Blu Cantrell’s ‘Hit Me Up’ one more time.

The beautiful, elegant Julie Fowlis was next, her band this time complete with Martin O’Neill, fresh from his tour with Stevie Wonder. It made all the difference to the sound, adding a warmth and depth that had been missing at the HebCeltFest the week before.

By contrast Dervish, another Irish band, started their time on Stage One with a slow air on flute- maybe a brave move mid afternoon, but the audience were quiet and receptive. Dervish has been together twenty one years and it shows- the musicians are technically excellent and work well together with Cathy Jordan’s down to earth story telling manner; Cathy herself excelling on Bob Dylan’s ‘Spanish Leather’.

A brief break in proceedings gave me time to make it across to Stage Two to see John Flynn with his band, the Sussex Wit. Nu-folk’s answer to Folk Idol winner Seth Lakeman, Johnny is young, good looking and out supporting the mighty Mumford and Sons this autumn. Here at Cambridge he proved himself a multi-instrumentalist as well as having a pretty good voice too. One to watch, I think

I stayed put after Johnny left the stage to watch Breabach, a band who seem to be constantly evolving. There’s never been any doubt as to the many talents of this band, but the addition of James Lindsay on upright bass and Calum MacCrimmon’s strengths as a tunesmith and bouzouki player have taken this band onward and upward to a new level.

Mind you, there’s a way to go before they get to where Lunasa are. I haven’t seen Lunasa for ages and I can’t think why. Easily the best band of the day, for talent, entertainment, banter and natural good humour, the audience were either laughing out loud or clapping with fervour.

A great meal at the Folknet Café where I posted another blog, before making my way past Natalie Merchant - who had Lunasa join her on stage for a short set - to see Joe Pug in the club tent. His was the most talked about name of the festival, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. A young singer song writer, he’s been compared to a young Springsteen/ Dylan, and I can see the similarities, even without the harmonica around his neck. His fervent delivery, his slightly angry demeanour, and his insistence that the sound was just right makes me think that Joe Pug’s determination to succeed means he will do just that.

Back through the many many people sitting around in their picnic chairs to see Salsa Celtica on Stage Two. This intimate late night setting suits this band, although it took a while to get all fifteen members shoehorned onto the tiny stage. Some changes too, since I last saw them, revealing a stellar line up. Jarlath Henderson, Altan’s Dermot Byrne, Tony Byrne from the Julie Fowlis Band on guitar and Megan Henderson, part of the talented Henderson family. It’s Megan’s addition that has probably had the most impact, meaning that Salsa can now blend puirt a beul with Cuban drumbeats- sounds strange but works brilliantly. This band ooze class and rhythm, and the permanent party atmosphere in the tent meant that everyone left to go home with a smile on their faces.

Sunday

No rain overnight, hurrah! The weather makes all the difference when you’re camping, and the bright morning inspired me to go for a swim before breakfast. When I got back it was time to pack up, as I’d decided to return home on Sunday night after the last band. A lot of other people had the same idea; I guess it’s easiest if you need to be back at work.

So, off to the Folknet Café for a brief blog update before going to Stage Two to see The Burns Unit. Appearing as part of the Scottish Showcase, The Burns Unit got together for a song writing week called Burnsong, in 2006, most of the band having never previously met. Part Scottish Canadian, The Burns Unit features Emma Pollock (Delgados),Future Pilot AKA, Karine Polwart and husband Mattie Foulds, King Creosote, Kim Edgar ,Michael Johnston ( proving a worthy contender for Tony Byrne’s ‘How Much Fun Can You Have On Stage’ crown) and girl rapper MC Soom T. The sound they create together is as eclectic as their backgrounds, from pop to rap to dub, with folk thrown in for good measure, and on paper it sounds a bit peculiar. But it works. So well that it was the first and only cd I bought this festival, and when I got back home, theirs was the first song I heard Lauren Laverne play on 6 Music. Listen, and love it too!

Afterwards I saw the rest of Salsa Celtica’s second set of the festival, the massive Stage One allowing the band to spread out a bit more, giving room for Julie Fowlis to appear as a special guest, singing puirt a beul with Megan Henderson. I love highlights like this- it’s what makes Cambridge so special.

I caught a brief glimpse of the Jolly Boys - a mento (Jamaican folk mixed with ska and reggae) band who formed back in the 1940s and used to play at Errol Flynn’s parties. Incredible,eh?
And these old guys have a new cd coming this year too!

Then it was back to Stage One where Show of Hands were playing. I have to confess I’m not a Show of Hands fan and speaking to other people at the festival it would appear they’re a bit ‘Marmitey’- you either love them or hate them. They are phenomenally popular, have a relaxed easy manner with their audience and their songs are easy to join in with, but sadly I just don’t get it- I find them a little too worthy.

But I stayed put and listened, knowing that the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain were next. Their only appearance at Cambridge meant the marquee was packed and actually seeing the band impossible, as they play sitting down. I was glad to hear different songs and medleys but felt either that the set wasn’t as funny as before, or that maybe I’ve grown used to what to expect. I don’t know. Still massively popular, though, and if you have a sense of humour and an interest in all types of music spreading back thirty years or more, you’ll love them.

The Unthanks were playing on Stage Two, so I stood at the back for a bit of a listen, two songs being enough for me, as I find them a little depressing. I cheered up at the thought of another set by Julie Fowlis though, and they were on great form, despite missing Duncan Chisholm, off on Wolfstone duties. This gave Martin O’ Neill an opportunity for a bodhran solo, Eamon Doorley time for lots of jokes, and the whole band to sing the Beatles ‘Blackbird; all this despite, as Julie said, being late to bed the night before .

The early evening break gave me time to wander around the many stall and buy some cds, Johnny Flynn and one of the Carolina Chocolate Drops having the same idea! Over to the Folknet Café for roast dinner vegetarian style (well, it was Sunday!).

The pace of the festival had begun to slow down now, and although it was still crowded, more people were chilling out outside the tents, the rigours of four days standing taking its toll. It was in this fashion that I heard bits of C.W. Stoneking, the Australian blues/jazz performer, and Dervish, who followed him onto Stage Two.

To finish my Cambridge experience I decided to catch the last bit of Kris Kristofferson but was surprised at how empty the tent seemed - it seemed a strange time slot for him though, and maybe a lot of festival goers had left to go home. He seemed well respected though, the audience listening in admiration to his songs.

Last opportunity for a dance was provided by Lunasa, the most entertaining band of the festival and much was made of the fact that Kris had supported them on the bill. Honest, self deprecating, and blindingly talented, Lunasa played a storm and I left Cambridge 2010 on a high…

See www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk for news of the festival..

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