Monday, September 01, 2008

Moseley Folk Festival 2008 - Friday 29th August - Sunday 31st August


Well, that was fun. Three days of folk, anti-folk, funny-folk, legendary-folk, old-folk, young-folk, what-the-folk...you get the picture. I have to say that, having attended the very first MFF in 2006, this one (barring one or two minor grumbles) seemed even better. A more thorough dissection of the bands that 'rocked the show' will follow, but a few spring to mind straightaway...Gemma Quarterman (stunning version of Hush - you can catch her at The Sound Bar this Wednesday night), Ben Calvert (check out his new track Broken Family Daysaver), Chris Wood, Albino, Kinkajou, The Destroyers (of course), Chris T-T, Waterson: Carthy (we are not worthy), Ian Campbell (for a memorable song about someone in an old folks home retelling his life to a young Ian in the 1960's - if you know the name of the track please let me know) and Sexy Seth (pictured)...that's just for starters. It's pretty unusual to go to a festival and like everything you see, but I can't think of anything I disliked. The crowd were pretty chilled, the oik element was low and after the Friday night 45 minute queue for the bar (not quite sure what happened there - but lessons seem to have been learnt pretty swiftly)...getting a drink on Saturday and Sunday was a breeze (bigge up the Tardebigge Cider). It's weekends like this that make me glad to live in Birmingham...and live in general. The organisers should be rubbed up and down in a slightly sexy manner. I loved the Bohemian Jukebox tent. A nice mix of workshops and bands. Anyone who can get me up and folk dancing deserves a medal (not sure who the lady was but she was very kind...I'd have had me shot for bringing the name of dancing into disrepute).
Like I say I'll be reviewing my picks shortly in greater depth...probably when I've had time to listen to the mountain of CD's I bought...but for now...that's all folk(s)...I just had to go be silly again didn't I?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that Ian Campbell song was called "The Old Man's Tale". It definitely had 'old' in the title, at the very least. That was my song-of-the-entire-weekend, too.

I really wish I'd been able to see The Destroyers. Really really really.

Anonymous said...

Ahhh yes...that sounds familiar..."The Old Man's Tale"...I'll have to try and track it down. Awesome stuff. Heard a rumour somewhere that it was his last ever gig.

Hopefully The Destroyers will be playing Artsfest again this year. In a similar kind of stylee Old School Dance were pretty darn fine too (think they're local as well).