Larmer Tree Festival 2009
Wednesday 15th to Sunday 19th July 2009Larmer Tree Gardens, near Tollard Royal (about 16 miles W of Salisbury), on the Wilts./Dorset border, SP5 5PT, England MAP
day tickets priced at £37 to £57 dependant on day, weekend tickets sold out
Saturday morning fuzzy heads are cleared by The Shee whose Celtic origins are only a backdrop as we're taken around the world with their folk set. There are no jangling bells with this all female band. Instead the soothing harp and fiddles coupled with their complementary vocals have us making notes to visit the Songlines tent to see if we can purchase one of their CDs.
As we venture into the open, the skies have cleared for some respite from the deluge and The Groanbox Boys are on the Garden Stage. There is a vast selection of delightfully odd percussive instruments, the likes of which I've never seen before. Although I can't tell you what they were called, the sounds the instruments produce, coupled with the energy and effort from the band combine to deliver a storming set. Another mental note made to find out more.
Jim Moray's set moves us back to a folk feel but certainly not in a traditional sense. Added volume, feedback and wibbly effects keep us a fair distance from the finger in the ear folk noise.
Taking the children and lady folk back to the tent, the men folk head out to check Club Larmer to make sure we're not missing out on anything. We return in the early hours having made some new friends and the world spin a bit.
review by: James Tayler
photos by: Andy Pitt
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