Although the season stretches into mid-September, there has
always been something of an end of the summer festival feel when Moseley Folk
arrives on the city’s doorsteps. Beyond the Tracks may be extending Birmingham’s
outdoor music attractions this year and End of the Road may be the higher
profile indication of a seasonal closer, but there is a definite uniqueness
about the eclectic gathering in Moseley Park across the opening weekend of
September.
The luscious sloping surroundings of a private park on the
hinterland of Birmingham’s city centre coupled with a stage arrangement of
non-stop music from the comfort of a single location are key aesthetic features
of Moseley Folk. When you blend in a line up ranging from the traditional to
the experimental, the sounds that fill the park emanate from a highly crafted
pack of artists, musicians and performers. 2017 is the twelfth renewal of
Moseley Folk Festival and without making too much comparison with previous
gatherings, this year’s acts are a pulsating stand-alone selection designed to
stretch the discerning cultural ear.
The challenge of any preview is to balance out the personal
and the general. However, the former immediately jumped out the page when the
line-up was announced a few months ago. From an Americana perspective, there a
few cooler song writing performers around than the American trio of Courtney
Marie Andrews, John Moreland and Shovels & Rope. Memory cannot recall any
of these playing the city before, so fans of this particular strand of folk
music will be in for a treat.
Before leaving the very personal behind, two other names to
look out for hail from contrasting lands and places on the musical horizon. New
Zealand artist Nadia Reid is an intriguing booking and ear marked as one to
catch, while Norwich based singer-songwriter Jess Morgan is firmly establishing
a respected foothold on the UK acoustic scene and makes this the second of
three planned Birmingham visits this year.
It is not unusual for the festival to dip a small toe into the
mainstream music world and perhaps the artist who reflects this policy most in
2017 is Friday headliner Amy MacDonald. On an ever-increasing influential
footing, but with a slightly left field style is Laura Marling who brings the
festival to a close on Sunday. This slot follows in the footsteps of acts like
The Proclaimers, The Monkees and The Dubliners from previous years, so a
definite diversion to create an alternative vibe.
Of course, core folk festival credentials are not too tough
to find with Seth Lakeman, Kate Rusby and The Furrow Collective leading the
contemporary charge from a traditional angle. If you want to swap the word contemporary
for legendary, then look no further than the Saturday evening performance of
Fairport Convention, right in the midst of their fiftieth anniversary
celebrations. For contrasting styles of the folk spectrum, you could try the celtic tones of Lankum (formerly Lynched) alongside the melancholic tranquillity of Josienne Clark
and Ben Walker.
To widen the the appeal by tapping into the circles of experienced
artists, the festival has acquired the services of The Magic Numbers and Roddy
Woomble. Dedicated fans of both these acts are likely to attend. This will no
doubt also apply to Mike Heron who brings an Incredible String Band influence
to the stage on Sunday with another city appearance in tandem with Trembling
Bells. On the other hand, the name Kaia Kater may not be well known before
the weekend, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if her Moseley Festival appearance
altered that. Jose Gonzalez returns to the festival after a few years absence
and his Saturday evening slot has a good chance of acquiring new fans in a
similar vein to what was reported from a previous appearance.
Mingling the prior familiar with those that will be at the
end of the festival demonstrates the astute skill in programming a line-up that
entices on paper and is well set to deliver in presence. Don’t forget the
twin stage set up enables a constant stream of fine music from Friday lunchtime
to Sunday evening, all for a modest outlay. Also returning this year is the
Kitchen Garden curated stage featuring independent artists such as up and
coming folk starlet Emily Mae Winters and locally based duo Ashland.
All artists featured are scheduled to attend the festival at time of publication and a full list of performers can be found at the event site.
