Cambridge Folk Festival 2009
Thursday 30th July to Sunday 2nd August 2009Cherry Hinton Hall Grounds, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB1 8DW, England MAP
£104 for full weekend
Next up is Hayes Carll, a name I was completely unfamiliar with before today and musically I am left relatively unmoved as his slow country ballads bring the mood down quite dramatically. His dry wit conveyed in a laid back Texas drawl is very entertaining, however, and much more memorable than the songs. Maybe just an error in billing him directly after the more upbeat Crooked Still.
From Northern Ireland to Scotland now as Blazin' Fliddles take the stage. Today they are all sporting Stetsons which they apparently acquired at last night's gig in a drinks promotion, giving them a very un-Scottish look. So many fiddles on one stage is not everyone's cup of tea, but if you're a fan of the reel and Strathspey, this gutsy, frenetic performance gives the genuine atmosphere of a Scottish ceilidh. They occasionally catch their breath with a more gently paced waltz.
Martin Simpson (along with Richard Thomson) is the kind of performer who, for anyone with a few pretensions to being a guitarist, make you want to go home and smash your instrument up. His fingerwork is literally breathtaking. It's not all technical though, and his songwriting can also be very moving, such as the moving tribute to his father, 'Never Any Good'. A brilliant and generous musician, and allegedly an all round decent bloke, Martin could be seen round the festival chatting to his many devotees.
Booker T is one of those acts who is best remembered for one or two instantly recognizable hits, namely Green Onions and "the one from the cricket" (Soul Limbo). That was a long, long time ago however (1962 in the case of Green Onions) and he wouldn't still be around if it wasn't for his undoubted mastery of the Hammonf B3 organ, with its classic and enduring retro sound. He appears today with some very useful sidemen to give a soulful but sometimes rocking out blues set. It's entirely instrumental though, and the odd song or two would give it more depth.
The Saw Doctors may not be the most talented musicians at Cambridge this weekend, nor the snappiest of dressers (middle aged men in sportswear?!) or have the wittiest of banter. But they sure know how to entertain an audience. Their entire set consists of crowd-pleasing country tinged rock and tonight they reaffirm their place as Ireland's favourite live band, opening with chart topper 'N17' and keep the crowd moving to the end of the night, blissfully unaware of the monsoon that awaits them outside to cool them off.
review by: Douglas Coulter
photos by: Douglas Coulter
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