Village Pump Folk Festival is as much about new discoveries as old favourites (part three)

Village Pump Folk Festival 2016

Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th July 2016
White Horse Country Park, Trowbridge Road, Westbury, Wiltshire, BA13 4LX, England MAP
£120 for a weekend ticket

Daily capacity: 2,000

Rob Lear, the Welsh guitarist plays his own penned songs backed by his band, songs from 'Million Stars' his first ep right up to his latest stuff.

Sid Bloomfield sings silly songs of love, speaking French to your lover and "spracking up me mazerd" (doing your hair in Wiltshire dialect) to go out on the town!

Breabach play trad. Scottish, these rogues play lighthearted songs including ones about the 'Moonrakers of Devizes', 'Riley's Daughter' and getting into trouble because of it. The squeezebox player brings the average age down by a long way. The set is full of jokes and heckler put downs which are good fun too, the heckler himself laughing along with them.

The Proclaimers play to a packed out main marquee, a set full of all the songs you'd expect and for me (scarily) I could sing along with. Like 'Letter from America', 'Lets Get Married' and of course 'I'm Gonna Be (500 miles). As they get their rightful cheers I head off to the social club back room for the late night session with Billy in the Lowground.

Sunday arrives with rain in the air and Hannah Sanders and her accompanying partner ease us into the day with clear voiced songs.

The Cleverley Brotherss play a fun set with jokes and tongue in cheek songs, all good stuff even when they forget the lyrics for one song about 4 times, everyone just laughs along with it.

Harp and a Monkey do a second set now, its a set about the forgotten soldiers stories of WW1. Postman having to deliver sad news, a young, fallen, Rochdale lad's parents planting an oak tree in the Dardanelles. A brothers last meeting when one is shot after going over the top and the other after checking he was ok, asks if he's alright for money! And another about the bravery of Piper Daniel Laidlaw who rallied his troops as he piped away whilst marching toward enemy lines. I'm not irreverent of war, but these tales were cleverly put to song and using soundbites from the actual people involved was really well done and another highlight to my weekend.

Galleon Blast, fronted by Mark Radcliff, are a 7 piece band, that rightly sing songs of the sea. Inc. 'South Australia', '8 Bells', and 'A Smuggler's Life'. Radcliff rips into Bob Geldof because he's been at his 'mega' antics again but finds it hard to read this crowd and ends up getting heckled for it! They finish with an odd version of 'Shaking All Over', by Jonny and the Pirates. It was an enjoyable enough set for me.

Belinda O'Hooley & Heidi Tidow, have been having some good radio time on 6music and radio 2 so I head of to listen to this couple. They play simple but beautifully crafted songs off latest album the hum, about folk not moving into a local house because of the hum from a local factory, ode to real ale/micro brewers and child migration.

The Willows play now with tales of cars breaking down, leading to inspiration to write a song about a Whitby lifeboat rescue, the giants from the hills just off the fens, and absent friends from their first album.

Phil Beer and his band are penultimate act on the Main stage, as is Phil Cooper for the White Horse stage. This guy has been managing the main but now gets his turn to play. All ways heart felt and sung with a passion, he's put his self on the line over the last 18 ish months to be a full time musician and he goes from strength to strength.

On finally now are Ferocious Dog, after two other festivals this weekend, these powerful musicians turn up to blow us all away with the often personal songs from Ken Bonsall, the lead singer of the group. They are a personal favourite of mine and always a draw for me.

Their loyal fans, the 'hell hounds' follow them up and down the country and its not hard to see why. All the band are happy to talk to any fan or person who wishes to chat with them. All out in the merch tent afterwards, not leaving until everyone had some time with them. A brilliant end to a cracking weekend.

A big thank you to all the stewards, sound and lighting crews, and everyone else that make this small/medium sized festival a success. It has been going now for a long time and I hope it continues to be such a good weekend with such quality acts all round.