Music > Live Reviews

Saturday at Cambridge Folk Festival

01/08/16

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my first visit to Cambridge Folk Festival. At just over an hour from Norwich it was a no brainer to go and see what a festival that has been going since 1965 and sells out most every year has got going for it. I’m no folk expert, but planned to use this as an opportunity to find out more about what I like and don’t like about the oldest music genre there is.

The site itself is small, surrounded by woodland, and located pretty close to the centre of Cambridge so easy to find. Parking 10 minutes away from the festival in a school car park was easy-peasy, and being personally escorted through to the backstage press area was a lovely touch that was much appreciated. Throughout the day every single volunteer and member of staff I came into contact with was polite, genuinely warm and helpful which always makes such a difference to the vibe of a festival.

Foodwise, there were all sorts of treats, from fish and chips to Indian via burgers and Chinese – something for everyone, and the queues were entirely reasonable. The toilets were clean, civilised and again, not the endless queues you get at other music events. The other festival-goers were an absolute dream – mostly older people with a few young uns’s mixed in, all quiet and warm and polite and enthusiastic without being wild. The relationship between every band that I saw and the audience felt the same – non judgemental, non pretentious, friendly and like we were all in it together. Just the nicest thing in the world.

I started off at Stage One, the main stage housed within a long white marquee, with people lined up in their camping chairs outside, contentedly in for the chill. Songs of Separation are a 10 piece female band from England and Scotland, also feat folk megastar Eliza Carthy. This is one classy act, most of the women dressed in sequinned dresses and armed with a huge range of instruments including two harpists and a prominent double bass. They take turns on lead vocals, singing both traditional folk songs and some penned by themselves. The sound is smooth, thoughtful and beautiful, with some lovely harmonies and an overall sense of peace.

Next up, Essex/Cockney group Stick In The Wheel over on Stage Two. The place is packed with interested fans. Singing songs in a strong accent about the London riots and lorry drivers as well as more traditional tracks, they blow me away. Lead singer Nicola is a tour de force in every way, her hilariously dry delivery on one liners between songs making everyone crack up, like a Southern Pam Ayres, and her snarling singing voice strong and hard throughout their set. Bringing folk music totally up to date and respecting its heritage whilst also giving it the bird is what Stick In The Wheel do best. Check out their debut LP and try to see them live – absolutely brilliantly edgy and anarchic, and my favourite act of the day.

Tir Eolas are on next in The Den, a young five piece band. More traditional, they make upbeat, breezy, jazz-tinged tunes that are sweet and accomplished. Given time I think they could develop their character as a group more and become something wonderful.

Darlingside back on Stage Two wow the sizeable crowd with their Beach Boys-like harmonies. Four American young men gathered around one mic, their voices are like angels dipped in honey accompanied by banjo, violin, guitar and bass. Stunning.

It was at this point in the evening that my heart broke a little as it was announced that Charles Bradley had been hospitalised and was therefor unable to play his set. Despite this disappointment (he was a big draw for me), I stifled my sadness and headed over to see Kate Rusby, perhaps the most commercially successful cross over artist of the day. She put on an amazing show, ably backed by a professional and well-versed band and string section. Stage One is jam packed for her set, and many are singing along. She’s funny and personable and very confident, and it’s hard to not love her by the end, especially when everyone onstage dons blue masks and capes to sing Big Bad Bill, a song about a Northern superhero.

Solas up next are an American group who deal out traditional folk with some strong fiddle action resulting in a shredded bow and a delighted audience. Mainly instrumental, this is music that rolls along with considerable energy and fire. Good stuff.

I caught Megson, a husband and wife duo in the Club Tent, who were full of smiles. Well practised and very confident, they put on a really good show and although they didn’t quite do it for me musically I was impressed by the fact that they are young but obviously know exactly what they’re doing, with lots of banter with the audience.

Back to Stage One to catch Afro Celt Sound System, a multi-ethnic, multi-genre group of about one million members. They totally brought it, with so much colour and vibrancy onstage, an audience dancing like loons, some extraordinary bhangra beats and even the odd touch of a hip hop beat. An amazing party band for sure.

Running over to The Den, sadly I only caught one song from all male group The Eskies, wafting an energetic gypsy-party vibe around the tent. Wish I could have seen more, but it’s off to catch Saturday night’s headline on Stage One, Christy Moore. The place is jammed, and when you have people all singing along to your very first song, Hills of Donegal, you must have been doing something very right for a very long time. He seems like a modest man, making beautifully tender, simple and heartfelt songs that carry his heritage with pride. These are homeland songs, and there’s a beautiful feeling in the marquee as the sun sets and our hearts light up with love.

I nipped over to see Braebach briefly on Stage Two, who gave us some expert pipes action, a little traditional dancing and a strong double bass with no need for a drum.

Appalachian Dori Freeman in The Den’s sweet vocals and country-tinged songs of love and loss is something very special. Still young in years, her heart is clearly well experienced enough to carry off these ballads that have come as a result of her  surroundings whilst growing up. A real sweetheart, and already accomplished as hell, I can only dream of what her future holds. Huge things no doubt.

I hit Stage Two up for the final time to see the foot stomping, full of beans Kila, an eight piece band with an magnetic frontman on drums. Close your eyes and you could be listening to African music. Just wonderful enthusiastic, joyful, life-affirming music.

To provide a peaceful comedown at the end of what had been a day of non-stop music and fun, I finished off in The Den, with the young female trio Wildwood Kin. Latest single Warrior Daughter is an absolute banger of a tune, and their harmonies were sweet as sugar. I expect to be seeing more of them in future.

My day of music was a real ear-opener. I had sort of expected a lot more traditional folk, a bit more hey nonny no, quite a lot more pipes and fiddles, some Morris Dancing and maypole action. What I actually experienced were a large and varied range of acts, with many talented young people performing as well as some well-experienced slightly older legends of the genre. I learnt that folk can take many forms, that seeing and hearing it live is definitely the way to feel the vibes right, and that folk is very much adapting, still alive and certainly thriving in 2016.

As I finally left the site late in the evening, I stopped by the river, where huge trees loomed above me lit by the moon. The trees were reflected perfectly in the river, which looked like glass. The stars were twinkling. I had a moment. What a beautiful place Cambridge Folk Festival is, both spiritually and physically. Man.

A perfectly run, perfectly played, perfect day in perfect weather, just over an hour from Norwich. I even met Mark Radcliffe! If you love any kind of music, not just folk, I would highly recommend trying out Cambridge Folk Festival. You’ll discover some new loves, enjoy a day in nature with kindred spirits and perhaps the kindest staff and volunteers ever – I do love being waved to as I leave a festival car park!

See you next year!