Beverley Folk Festival
Beverley Folk Festival 2011
Friday June 17th - Sunday June 19th
Multiple Venues
Beverley Yorkshire
Friday - Saturday - Sunday - Gallery
Beverley Folk Festival - Friday
Headlining the Friday night was Paul Carrack, who, like Sean, has become recognised by his choice of headwear that he chooses to wear on stage. Naturally he's also recognised as being a voice of Ace, Squeeze and Mike & The Mechanics, not just for his titfer.
He's brought an impressive sized band with him, strings, percussion(two kits) and a brass section as well as the obligatory backing vocals and keyboards. IT's a big sound and one that he's mastered well, blending in all the elements to perfection.
By his own admission, he's not a folk artist, but I really don't think there was anyone in the audience who cared. Carrack is in possession of an incredible voice, one that carries a real sense of spirit and soul. Particularly when he's playing his more bluesy numbers, it's easy to get lost in its smoky tones.
I'm off for a change of pace and sound at the Concert Marquee to catch multi-instrumentalist Michael McGoldrick playing as part of trio alongside bodhran and guitar. Mr McGoldrick has gained his musical reputation for a reason, he's very property.
By the time I get there, people have already got up from the seating and found themselves small dance areas at the side and in isles and are going for it as much as the musicians on stage. Michael's music comes from across a wide range of Celtic and dance traditions and it's almost impossible to to have some part of your body tapping away at pretty much every point during his set.
Michael McGoldrick And Friends brought the evening to a close, so along with a lot of the site, it was time to head to the Wold Top Marquee and catch what was going on there. It was time for the first real blag of the festival as I manage to score a copy of Blackbeard's Tea Party's album just before they go on.(Review elsewhere)
Electric Ceilidh is a quick and easy to relate to description for the band and it turns out they'll be leading a ceilidh on site later in the festival. A six piece they pack plenty of punch and soon get a lot of dancers going in the tent with their mix of songs and tunes. They are a real carousing band and inject a real sense of having a good time into their sound. The set was way to short, as is the nature of these things, but a whole lot of fun.
Blackbird's Tea Party are followed on stage by Henry Priestman, former member of The Christians and for whom Johnnie Walker coined the phrase 'music for grumpy old men' to describe Henry's "The Chronicles Of Modern Life Album".
Henry is performing as part of a trio and as anticipated it's a set of well crafted observational songs that at times border on poetry set to music. It's a brief, but poignant. The tent is due to go on for a while longer yet, but the length of day has caught up with me and it's time to head off to sleep.