Reviews
Event: Bournemouth Folk Festival
Venue: BIC
Town: Bournemouth
Date: 12th March
Website:
http://www.bournemouthfolkfestival.co.uk/
The Mainstage is completely within the venue, with no access to natural light. It allows you to forget that just on the other side of the doors it's a sunny, albeit cold, March afternoon, cocooned in the hall it's already a nightime gig and that undoubtedly is adding to the atmosphere of the event. Not that the next act needs any help in building an atmosphere, the double BBC Radio Two Folk Award winning(and that's just this year) Chris Wood. He's also Fatea Instrumentalist of the year, but we know that doesn't register quite so high.
Chris is another artist that doesn't really go with a set list, rather he gets the feel of the audience and sets his songs accordingly, alternatively he goes with the songs he feels like playing and sets the audience accordingly. Regardless of which way around it is, it really works for him.
Chris is a profound thinker, you can tell that by the way he writes and delivers his songs, there's real thought dripping off almost every word, you can feel what he's put into every song in order to wring so much back out of it.
It's something that's true in both personal and political songs, but you feel it more in the political songs, how events have shaped his thought processes and informed his sense of justice. He doesn't deliver songs in a preachy party way, rather by how events unfold and the impact they have on the individuals in the songs and the society around them.
Naturally as fairness forms such a core to the material, it only seems fair that those who perpetrate acts against society feel the wrath of the song. As a methodology it's hard to fault and makes for really great songs delivered with a real passion, no wonder he's got the audience eating from the palm of his hand.
At the end of the set Chris gets the all too rare honour, at a festival anyway, of being called back for an encore. It's no wonder he picked up two folk awards this year, he's a man that really understands what his music is about and how to make it relevant to so many others.
Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman were both members of The Equation, as were Sam Lakeman and Cara Dillon, both brothers form partnerships with their respective female vocalists when that band split up, both musically and personally, and both musical collaborations would be put on hold for the birth of twins.
Consequently, it's been a little while since I've caught up with Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman. From the start you can really tell how excited they are to be out and about again. Kathryn makes a joke about being able to sing something other than lullabies and to an adult audience.
They are also really enthused about the festival. They've obviously been down to the beach as well as taken a bit of time to see some of the rest of the event. Their coming out to an audience that's already seen some really great artists and to two waves of enthusiasm hit each other face on.
As well as being a vocalist, Kathryn also plays flute and keyboards, whilst anyone that's seen the Seth Lakeman band in recent years can't fail to be impressed by the guitar prowess of Sean Lakeman. It takes them barely the bat of an eye to remind everyone, just in case we'd forgotten, what a great musical partnership they are.
With a combination of both self penned and traditional songs, the duo delivered a set that was little short of stunning and fully justified the gamble of the organisers to give them the prominent afternoon spot.
If Kathryn and Sean were showing any nerves about getting back onto the big stages, it certainly didn't come through.
What did come through was a smiling contentment that alright with the world, in fact things were a damned sight better than alright, it's pretty damned good. Kathryn has a quite distinctive singing voice and it wasn't long until you realised just how much you'ld missed it. Made a mental note to dig out the duos albums when I got home.
I was really pleased with my choice to stay with the one stage all afternoon. It's a break with my normal festival practice, but does really give you a chance to explore the artist. The price was missing out on the cream of local talent, but being local myself I have the luxury of catching up with them in the not too distant future.
I'd also managed to miss out on the three morris sides that had performed outside on the patio through the afternoon.
Bournemouth Folk Festival seems to have hit on a great formula, local and national, singer/song orientated and then dance, as well as an ongoing session and workshops for people that want their festivals slightly more proactive.
The evening in the main hall is far more dance orientated, rows of chairs have been removed to create a decent sized dance floor. If dancing is your thing, then 4 Square, The Monster Ceilidh Band packed full of some of the Newcastle arts course's finest musicians to be rounded off with Sheelanagig, an energetic evening by anyone's standards.
For the more song orientated, there's plenty going on in the Purbeck lounge including Fearne, Jennifer Crook and Cathryn Craig and Brian Willoughby, it promises to be a great evening to round off a fantastic festival.
Unfortunately, and for this a huge apology to the organisers, I've managed to develop a splitting headache and rather than potentially ruin my experience of a fantastic new festival, I'm going to knock it on the head.
The first Bournemouth Folk Festival, has definitely lived up to its promise. Fingers crossed that it becomes a permanent feature on the festival calendar. The choice of venue with room for multiple stages is ideal for an early season festival and still has room for growth. Here's to the organisation who made the whole thing possible, long may they continue.
Neil King