Village Pump Committee member, Clive Woodland, gives his personal recommendations of well known performers attending this year’s folk festival at the White Horse Country Park, Westbury.
Clive said, “The festival presents an opportunity to see some of the best musicians and singers currently working on the folk and roots circuit. This is my first choice of well-known performers that I’ll be sure not to miss. Nearer the festival, I’ll highlight some lesser-known but equally brilliant acts.
“Seth Lakeman is a performer with wide appeal for all ages. Not only has he had albums in the Pop charts but recently he has worked with the BBC Concert Orchestra and played his song “King and Country” at the Royal Albert Hall D-Day Commemoration concert. Noted for his fiery fiddle style and skills as a multi-instrumentalist, Seth frequently writes songs inspired by his home county, Devon.
“Steve Knightley and Phil Beer are patrons of The Village Pump Folk Festival. Steve Knightley is the songwriting force behind Show of Hands, widely acclaimed as the finest acoustic roots duo in England and with three Royal Albert Hall sell-outs to their name. A great performer, Steve is mesmerising whether in a small village hall or huge venue. Phil Beer, his band mate, is also a patron and will be at the festival in his own right. Word is they may well play together as well as sets as solo performers and in different line-ups.
“3 Daft Monkeys are ultimately regarded as a folk trio, yet their astonishingly diverse range of influences render genre pigeonholing almost impossible. Their electrifying, high-octane live shows, either at a major festival or in a tiny local pub, are something they take great pride in, and they invariably have the entire crowd, big or small, dancing to them.
“Martin Simpson is widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world. His interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling. His solo shows are intense, eclectic, spellbinding and deeply moving. Whether playing American old-time music, blues, a Dylan song or his own material, Martin Simpson is unpredictable, individual and a guitarist of immense subtlety.
“The Blues Band is a British blues band formed in 1979 by Paul Jones, former lead vocalist with Manfred Mann and vocalist/slide guitarist Dave Kelly, who had previously played with the John Dummer Blues Band, Howlin’ Wolf and John Lee Hooker. Paul is an authority on the blues and is the presenter of BBC Radio’s Monday night Blues Show.
“Martin Carthy and John Kirkpatrick are star solo performers of traditional English songs but also work together with brass instrument players in the band Brass Monkey, creating the feel of an old village band from a bygone era but one that has inspired the likes of Bellowhead.”
Tickets are still available. The full line-up and festival details can be found at www.villagepumpfolkfestival.co.uk
