Having been slightly disappointed with The Be Good Tanyas
Warwick Arts Centre show earlier this year, the most important aspect of the
2013 Moseley Folk Festival was being given another chance to re-connect with
this Vancouver based trio who had risen to such prominence in the world of folk
roots during the millennium’s early years. An hour and twenty minutes after
they had set foot on the festival’s idyllic main stage, any doubts had been
removed as Frazey Ford, Trish Klein and once again Caroline Ballhorn deputising
for the recuperating Sam Parton gave a master class in how to deliver and
interpret a mixture of classic roots material.  |
| Frazey Ford of The Be Good Tanyas |
Whether delving into folk, blues, gospel or celebrating the
music of Neil Young and Bob Dylan, The Be Good Tanyas supremely entertained a
Sunday teatime crowd who were revelling in the reclamation of the festival’s genre
after the eclectic headliners of the preceding days. There may have been
references to some awkward folk banter but Frazey’s soul-laced vocals give the
band an air of individual artistry and the mouth watering prospect of collusion
with some of Al Green’s Memphis players on her future solo project will temper
the prolonged absence of new band material. As if to further diminish the
earlier experience, the return to the set list of the exceptional ‘Light Enough to Travel’ topped a
festival highlight list that had combined the experimental with the familiar.
This three day second city music extravaganza bearing the
name of the famous suburb of its location brings a slice of urban grit into the
enchanting surroundings of this private park complete with luscious green
backdrop, vibrant natural lake and the sloping amphitheatre leading down to
the pair of alternating stages. Unfortunately the Friday wasn’t attended this
year but it is without doubt that the sell out crowd would have lapped up the sure
fire success of the re-engagement of Ocean Colour Scene reminiscing their acclaimed 90’s album MOSELEY SHOALS. The weekend line up also flirted with a little
loosening of the genre tag but any progressive element of a music style will
always strive for freedom to release the shackles.
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| The Dunwells |
While three artists in The Dunwells, Jack Savoretti and The
Staves were earmarked to check out on the Saturday afternoon, it would be
difficult to argue against British Sea Power owning the second day with a
highly entertaining and rousing display of gritty industrial urban indie rock. The
quintessential foliage and eight foot bears add spice to the swirling anthems
and introspective guitar sound tinged with a sprinkling of brass. While not for
the purists and certainly laying the foundation for debate, British Sea Power continue
to leave an indelible mark after many years of festival appearances.
With the appetite for a touch of post punk eighties retro
being satisfied with the headline performance of acclaimed Scottish artist
Edwyn Collins, this review is better served by an analysis of the three acts
mentioned in the previous paragraph. All three approach the genre from
different angles with Leeds based band The Dunwells currently in the throes of
some home festival appearances while taking a break from their stateside
adventures. Having witnessed the band in Calgary earlier in the summer, this
set re-affirmed the opinion that they have loads of potential and could develop
into an eminent Americana rock band especially if they continue to absorb their
US influences and not fall back into UK indie pop territory.
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| Jack Savoretti |
Jack Savoretti recently came to my attention with the album
BEFORE THE STORM which has the knack of refusing to eject from your CD player
and while a solo folk festival appearance may not his natural habitat, the
multi talent from this classy singer-songwriter oozed from the stage to be
lapped up by his growing posse of admirers. Mean guitar playing and solid songs
probably define the majority of his act although the appeal does extend into other
territories. Getting to know the work of Jack Savoretti will ease the passage
between genres and gave credence to the crossover nature of this festival.
Hailing from the ‘gateway to north’ town of Watford, The
Staves are an intriguing sibling trio who are making rapid strides in the
emerging world of twenty-first century folk rock. The harmonies and roots bias
to their core instrumentation provide one half of the package with the backing
band adding the amplification. Sharing the stage with Mumford and Sons during
their headline Glastonbury slot enhanced their summer exposure and while the
core toolkit is in place perhaps a little development in the song construction
department will aid the longevity potential. There was no denying their
rightful place on the Moseley Folk Festival bill and they could prove to be key
architects in the progressive side of the genre.
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| Kim Lowings and the Greenwood |
While the non-stop activity from the dual stages provides
the festival focal points, it is well worth breaking off to visit the hastily
erected third platform this year conveniently hosting local acts adjacent to
the real ale bar. It was always the plan to catch the set of Kim Lowings and
the Greenwood on Sunday afternoon and true to form the trio didn’t disappoint
with their brand of contemporary and traditional folk. Plans are in place to
give Kim, hailing from the cultural hotspot of Stourbridge, extended coverage
later in the year but in the meantime why not sample her free track on the Fatea Showcase Sessions.
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| The Staves in harmony |
It wouldn’t be a festival without the discovery of a new act
and this year’s Moseley Folk Festival award goes to Canadian feel good fiddle,
banjo, and bass et al combo Gordie MacKeeman and His Rhythm Boys. Carrying on
the tradition of fabulous Maritimes Provinces roots acts, this band from Prince
Edward Island (PEI to those of us getting into the lingo) gave a blistering performance
of high octane stomping served with Gordie’s impressive tap dancing and a sound
that encapsulated rockabilly, traditional and general fine good ole finger
pickin’. The band are getting some positive press on this UK visit and their Moseley
Folk performance will only add to this.
The festival finale from The Dublin Legends (formerly The
Dubliners) was a relatively easy pick from the organisers as the combination of
free flowing drink (well refreshingly priced just under £4!) and those fervently
celebrating the city’s Irish heritage ensured the closing moments weren’t going
to pass quietly. Prior to this crescendo of heightened passion, rising star Lucy
Rose gave a main stage performance of a folk flavoured style which veers
towards pop and rock with ample suggestion that bigger arenas and venues may be
just around the corner.
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| Early festival goers get settled |
Once again apologies to the many other artists that either
missed the review cut or were just plain missed as the omnipresent festival reviewer
has yet to be created. It is also pretty sure that the darling of the UK folk scene Kate Rusby will get plenty of coverage elsewhere of her mid Sunday afternoon slot. The set up at the established Moseley Folk Festival has tapped into a winning formula that ensures
music lovers in the second city can round off their outdoor summer consumption with
a high quality offering of sounds that will no doubt continue to push
boundaries in the future.