Beverley Folk Festival
Beverley Folk Festival 2011
Friday June 17th - Sunday June 19th
Multiple Venues
Beverley Yorkshire
Friday - Saturday - Sunday - Gallery
Beverley Folk Festival - Sunday
There are a couple of things that tell you a lot about a band as well as their music. One is watching them set up and the other the interactions between the band members during the bit between the songs. Some of the strongest bands really have that self depreciation thing off to a tea. Circus Envy have got all the right traits to let you know that there is a real strength at the core of this band, one that indicates that the musicians are totally in touch with where they are coming from and where they are going.
As you would expect, there's a good number of songs from the band's recently released "Secrets" album. This is acoustic pop/rock as it should be, well thought out and equally well delivered. As with a previous Hull based band, The Housemartins, Circus Envy are more than happy to tackle songs from a mixed gender perspective. A good example being "Betsy Watson" a song about a young girl getting pregnant out of wedlock when such things really mattered, told from Betsy's point of view.
"Last Cigarette" is delivered only after a quick knock at percussionist, Mick, who is three weeks into giving up. It might be my imagination, but I could swear you could hear the cajon more distinctly in that song than the others.
The set is delivered with high octane passion and still the band manage to find to find another gear when delivering the brooding magnificence of "Three Score And Ten" a song that is rapidly becoming their signature tune. Hopefully the new album will provide the key to unlocking the door of wider appeal, this is a band to keep a really good eye on.
English Folk music, both traditional and contemporary, appears to be in safe hands and is as passionately supported as that of our Celtic cousins and don't let anyone tell you different. For my next offering to the jury, I'm going to present Pilgrim's Way, but first there's time to catch up with some friends, get something to eat and who knows maybe a beer.
A re-examination of the program brings about a change in my running order, I've got time to go to the main hall and catch 4 Square before coming back to see Pilgrim's Way so plan b goes into operation.
The main concert is running slightly late, soundcheck problems with Bellowhead have pushed the schedule back a bit. Another glance of the program tells me this isn't a complete disaster 4 Square are playing across at the Wold Top Marquee later, so plan c is to watch the start of their set here, scoot off for Pilgrim's Way and then catch 4 Square later for a fuller set.
I've heard some good things about 4 Square, they went down very well at Cropredy a couple of years back when the audience apparently went into a buying frenzy for the band's cd. The band are another young band, but at least they are spared the same level of comment, Moore, Moss And Rutter had to endure.
The Sunday evening session has more of a dance focus so there's a larger area in front of the stage that's clear of the seating, which pushes the audience further back into the hall. The stage setting isn't doing the band any real favours either. Bellowhead are a big band and for practical reasons, a lot of their kit is on stage and it sort of hems the 4 piece in.
Whatever the reasons, 4 Square seem to get off to a tentative start. The playing is good enough, but it feels like there is something missing, a spark, some vitality somewhere. It could simply be that I'm in a minority as the response they get at the end of their first set of tunes suggest they've gone down well enough.
The next song confirms that there band really are expert musicians, but still doesn't have that certain something that I was waiting for. Slightly disappointed I leave, as planned, early in the set, so can't tell you if it all clicked together later.
Pilgrim's Way are a trio that seem to have appeared on the scene from nowhere and are creating a bit of a wave at the moment. There's a sort of running joke about the whole band being redheads, especially pertinent as by coincidence, they appear to have managed to find themselves a ginger sound engineer to complete the set.
Having previously released their own EP, the band have been picked up by Fellside and it's from there that they are releasing the debut album, "Wayside Courtesies" a collection of traditional songs and tunes, given the Pilgrim's Way work over.
The band actually take their name from a Kipling poem that was set to music by Peter Belamy and which also features on the album. Pilgrim's way add jews harp to the instrument list for the weekend, with the band's singer, Lucy Wright, playing a twin handled version during the course of the set.
I'm really impressed, they've captured that clear and sharp folk sound without it jarring. It gives them a distinct sound, one that also manages to get the feet tapping and I'm sure in the right venue, people up on their feet. They've got a busy summer so there's a good chance they'll be playing near you soon, take the opportunity to get along.