Bellowhead get the marquee bouncing on Wednesday at Sidmouth
Sidmouth Folk Week 2010 review
Wednesday 18th August 2010
The Fay Hield Trio begin a Wednesday afternoon concert in which lyricism takes centre stage. They offer a set of traditional songs and murder ballads, with finely nuanced accompaniment giving full weight to the often powerful subject matter on offer. Fay's soulful voice and restrained approach similarly intensifies the mood, particularly when the band add their harmonies. The audience are ever appreciative and the band is one of the few opening acts of the week to earn an encore.
Chris Wood is up next. Its just him and his guitar and he quickly demonstrates a canny knack of striking a chord with the audience. By the end of the second song, in which yuppies try to buy a country house and are rebuffed, our bond is cemented. Many of Chris' songs tell stories. A favourite this afternoon is 'One in a Million'. It's a love story and not every eye is dry in the marquee by the time it's over. The powerful and harrowing 'Hollow Point' is also a true story, about the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. The encore, dedicated to Richard Dawkins, receives a standing ovation.
The big queue on Wednesday night is not for once at the Ham but at the Bulverton Marquee. It is conveniently located in the field opposite the camp-site, so no bus ride is necessary for the evening concert. First up is Koshka. They are from Glasgow. but offer music that is very East European in flavour. It takes a while for people to warm to them and there is restrained applause at the end of the first tune. Gradually though, heads start to sway and toes start to tap. The music ebbs and flows and is very infectious. It takes you places. By the third number dancing is widespread. Age wise, it's a mixed bag and dance wise it's the same . The variety of dancing styles and steps; old folks dancing cheek to cheek, young folks more solitary and bouncy, is a real joy to witness. Koshka leave to a warm reception.
When Bellowhead take to the stage; Jon Boden in a showy silver suit, John Spiers in a fine hat, the palpable feeling of joy in the room is immediately cranked up a notch, and the bobbing and jigging begins immediately. Its during the second number, 'Whisky is the Life of Man' that the floor starts to move and it builds from there. It's not a mosh pit in the conventional sense. It's more seismic than that. The floor rises and falls in waves which emanate from the stage, the people move too, and your view is punctuated by bouncing heads that lurch this way and that across your field of vision. Its a very inclusive bounciness.
There are young, styled bouncy heads, hair all dyed and spiky. There are old, weathered bouncy heads, some grey, some bald; and there's everything in between. Again there is a plethora of dance styles ranging from ballroom, through morris, to heavy metal fist banging. The best bands are exemplified by their audiences and this is certainly the case with Bellowhead. Its fun, its diverse, its energetic and just a bit anarchic. 'Yarmouth Town' has a bit of a New Orleans feel in the middle, 'Jordan' is dedicated to Peter Andre and pensioners pogo to the 'Sloe Gin' set. At the end, the screams of appreciation can probably be heard in Cornwall and when I leave I'm genuinely surprised that the marquee hasn't bounced there too. A real festival highlight.
review by James Creaser photos by Eve Mathews /James Creaser
Liftshare.org Links drivers & passengers together online
Be part of the largest car sharing scheme in the UK, and help reduce the pollution and congestion on our roads ... AND save money!
It's free to use - you simply share the travel costs.
eFestivals is 
