Village Pump Folk Festival overflows with good tunes and rain too

It's been a truly wet summer's day here in Wiltshire, but thoughts of attending a new festival (for Ruth and I anyway) has kept me going. Village Pump Folk Festival started out on another site, the other side of Trowbridge (where the village pump folk nights are still run in the Lamb Inn pub) now in its fourth year on the white horse country park site. I seem to remember this site being sort of part of the local cement works social club and in its everyday usage provides a golf course, fishing lake and rugby club. the main vista of the site are the magnificent hills into which the white horse is cut, even though today its shrouded in low cloud.

The site itself is easy to find, just off (but far enough off to not hear traffic) the main road between Westbury and Trowbridge. We're initially met by some very soggy stewards, who are still smiling, and directed to our wristband check in. We head back to the camper van/caravan fields and find a nice spot. There's plenty of room and we just park ourselves in sensible rows besides the marked out areas and fire lanes. The whole of this area is flat and the main track ways of hard standing, the edges where you turn off are a little churned but hardly unsurprisingly given the rain suffered all day. just along the main track through the campsite is the onsite ticket office, where you can buy weekend, day and I think for the first time I've seen at a festival, evening tickets. Another first for me was seeing a land train running between campsite and the arena, 50p each way going to charity, helped people that fancied the ride.

just beyond the CV fields is the first tent area, a sort of drop your kit off and pitch arrangement then park your car in the next field seems to work. At the top end of this field near the entrance to the car parking and further tent field is a portacabin housing a 'village' shop (run by a local village shop!) which was handy for the little forgotten essentials and another first for me, a milkman delivering milk to it (another local festival is on a diary farm I know, but this was an old fashioned, electric milk float). Also a small block of showers and portable-toilets sited here. The top tent field also had plenty of space within it and was nicely flat too. At the corner nearest to the festival arena entrance, was space set aside for disabled camping, and as close as anyone would want them to be - some more toilets. Also along the edge of the fields were plenty of drinking water taps and even a few kitchen sinks.

Early Friday evening and its time to orientate ourselves with the arena layout. This consists of an interesting 'm' pattern. it maybe difficult to imagine, but works well. As you enter the music area at the first point of the right hand side of the 'm' you reach the 'White Horse Stage'. This is a seated marquee, with rows of flip down seats. Beside this venue is a small but well stocked bar, with about 3 real ales and the same of ciders and a lager too. The first loop of the 'm' is then made up of traders, with the 'Club Stage' at the top of it. At the middle point of layout is the 'Family Tent'. The second loop then consisted of the food traders. Then at what would be the start of the 'm' i.e. the bottom left is the main 'Village Pump Stage' which is a standing venue. Also found here, within a large 'L' shaped marquee, is the main bar and the festival's record store. The bar itself had a long rack of up to 15 different real ales on from many breweries, 2 varieties of thatchers (Heritage and Cheddar Valley) and numerous fruit flavoured ciders, perries and an interesting cider/perry mix called 'Crazy Goat' all provided by Lilley's.

Our first music of the weekend is Jez Lowe. His songs such as 'They're Taking On Men' about when workers would line up on the docks and pitman poets (coal face song writers), the first of some proper English trad folk about industry. In a setting where many of the performers explain their songs Jez talks of his hands free harmonica kit upon which he comes up with tunes such as 'Back In Durham Jail' before adding words to them.

Cardboard Fox, are a bluegrass band which includes the Carrivick Sisters. The first I hear is a cover of 'Cry Cry Darlin' by Bill Monroe. The worlds most careful double bass spin by John leads up into 'Believe', a beautiful song of their own. 'The Guilts' is dedicated to a Bachelor pig farmer!

Dumfermaline supporter, Barbara Dickson and Nick Holland play next in the smaller, seated White Horse Marquee and its rammed with people stood outside all around to listen to this set. Graeme Ball joins them to play on mandolin for 'Kingston Town' and old blues song 'Cornbread, Peas n Black Molasses'. Barbara plays a wonderful set on guitar and keyboard, with accompanying keyboards supplied by Nick. Her voice is so clear with Bonnie Scottish lilt, her audience are sat quietly but appreciating these songs of Montrose and Brechin in the summer and 'The Right Moment'. She shows much love for her home country and her roots in folk music.

Wille and The Bandits provide Some great rock/blues now back over on the Village Pump Stage. Wille, is amazing on his slide guitar and also when fast picking, the electric double bass and solid drumming round off a great sound. 'Angel' was a heartfelt rendition and personal dedication, a really different and refreshing feel to the other tents this evening.

CoCo and the Butterfields were one of my must sees for the weekend, having enjoyed only parts of their sets previously. 'My Girlfriend' and 'Next Walls' stood out but my favourite is the sing a long 'Astronaut' .Dulcimer's singing range is stunning and this is shown in an amazingly soulful version of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good'. A really upbeat set nears its end with 'Queen Under The Mountain' dedicated to Smaug's gold digging girlfriend. They encore, with House Of Pain's 'Jump Around'.

Suddenly realising where the 'Hall Stage' is and remembering Corky was a late addition to this stage, we head on in. this is a permanent building that houses from what I recall, the old works social club. its back hall is nicely draped and has its own bar. Corky performs proper Wurzel rap with songs like 'Here Be Skittles' and subject matter such as how hard it is to be a dairy farmer and west country insurance claims. The crowd pleasing/participating 'Wookey Hole' and oddly enough at a folk festival our second encore rendition of 'Jump Around'.

After AurA finish off our music for the night. A really enjoyable band for the possibly younger, if in heart but not necessarily body, 'Pumpers' to enjoy in what essentially is the late night venue of the festival.

continues in part 2... more >>

 

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