Although organised as a two day event for the camping
fraternity, the music was essentially confined to the Saturday with eight acts booked
to frequent the single tented stage from noon till late. The majority of these
represented the local scene within the county, covering several bases of a
loosely defined folk genre.
A few thoughts on those which created the most impression a
bit later, but the first kind words need to be reserved for Lucy Ward who
continues to show why discerning folk critics are right on the mark. For an
hour as the sun set (it was a pity the two main acts weren’t allotted a little
more time), Lucy gave another enchanting performance packed with feisty impassioned
chat and bags of wonderful artistic invention. Whether accompanied by guitar,
concertina or harmonium, the songs bristled with an enriched substance
showcasing the aura that Lucy purveys as a solo artist.
The challenge is not to shed a tear for the plight of Bobby
Barker in ‘Lion’ or not to be
inspired by the passion of her conviction for change in ‘Bigger Than That’ and the requested ‘For the Dead Men’. A touch of on-stage eccentricity goes a long way
to defining the magnetic charm of Lucy especially starting her set with visions
of the end of the world in ‘The Last
Pirouette’. The shade lightened considerably with a ratchetted down version
of ‘Waterloo’ in honour of Lucy’s
Eurovision obsession. Not to be outdone on celebrating the folk tradition, ‘Old Brown Hen’ and ‘King Willie’ were gustily sung thus showcasing the vocal
versatility of this Derby-based singer-song writer – interpreter- multi
instrumental musician.
Lucy’s energy, vibrancy and enthusiasm shine through her
songs and if there’s a vocal vacancy to lead the song protest movement then a
nominator and seconder won’t be difficult to find.
In contrast to Lucy, Sam has a brand new album just released
and this evening’s performance brought by the Sam Carter Trio yielded several
tracks from HOW THE CITY SINGS. Differences between the two were the extent of
inter song dialogue, although commissioned song writing is a common theme. This
was also extended to the content and desire for more justice in this world.
Perhaps the defining mark of Sam’s, also too short, hour on
stage was the band musical interaction featuring the trio completed by Evan
Jenkins on drums and Matt Ridley on both electric and stand-up bass. They
played a sensitive subtle role supporting Sam’s slower numbers before
considerably stepping up when the signal came to ramp up the rock vibes. This
guitar exhibition injected a renewed life into a festival as the afternoon gave
way to the evening session.
Worcester-based trio Granny’s Attic was probably the pick of
the four lower key acts seen. Consisting of fiddle, guitar and melodeon, the
trio’s sound belied the combined age of their young years as they lent heavily
on the traditional strands of Irish, Scottish and English folk. The shared
vocal arrangements were the perfect match for a batch of original and
traditional songs. The guys certainly maximised every minute from their hour on
stage and the performance suggested that they will not be short of festival
bookings this summer season.
While Sam Carter and Lucy Ward were the undoubted stars of
this show, even they had to play second fiddle at times to the large presence
of ducks from the nearby pond. Maybe there were more edible attractions for our
feathered friends than the music that filled the air for nearly twelve hours.
On a final note the organisers deserve praise for their excellent offering of
food and drink as well as ensuring the sound from the stage was top notch. The
booking of Sam and Lucy was a venture that successfully paid off as well.