Last Friday we went to see Moishe’s Bagel at Burton Bradstock Village Hall, a Scottish-based quintet whose music is a hybrid of klezmer, jazz, Balkan and classical, played on piano, accordion, violin, double bass and percussion.
Here’s an idea of their music from YouTube:
We went to this gig tonight to see Joe Strouzer and also the Wing Faced Earth Figs. There was rather too much chat going on in the pub to really appreciate the music but we had a good time and it was great to see Joe Strouzer live and his collaboration with the Wing Face Earth Figs was a highlight.
Here are a couple of photographs:
Here’s a couple of YouTube Videos (two of my favourites – featuring Rebekah Bouche on Double Bass):
As in previous years, time out from the main stages at ‘The Den’ was hugely rewarding and we were fortunate to discover three amazingly talented new acts:
Captivating music from Sleepy Folk, an inspirational group of songwriters and instrumentalists from Guildford associated with the Academy of Contemporary Music:
They have a number of songs on YouTube – here’s ‘Strides’ for starters:
The next act that caught our attention was Young Waters based in the Bristol area and winners of the New Shoots Competition, Bath Folk Festival 2016:
(Apologies to Theo who is hidden behind the tent pole)
They are also on YouTube, one of their songs ‘Swimming Pool’ featured here:
Introduced (perhaps unfairly) as being ‘weird’, but certainly theatrical and experimental in her playing of ‘Nancy’, the double bass partner to her vocals:
Here are a couple of videos from YouTube (Shoreditch Dickie and Icarus):
Our first proper gig since moving to Somerset last December – went to see Lucy Ward at the David Hall, South Petherton. Lucy has a powerful voice and sang a number of her own songs which focus on social justice, some bravely unaccompanied, some humorous, a few traditional folk songs and a cover of Jolene, in which (and she would probably prefer to forget this) spectacularly forgot the words.
Here’s a couple of photographs:
And two YouTube Videos:
We were back at The Green Note again to see Bronwynne Brent – a little more relaxed and chatty than last time. Accompanied by her producer and highly-rated guitarist Johnny Sangster:
Bronwynne Brent with Johnny Sangster at The Green Note
We had the front seats in front of the stage and helped out Bronwynne with setting up a video camera and picking up dropped plectrums.
Whilst potentially expensive to construct, a raised bed (with boards containing the soil) has a number of advantages over a traditional cultivated bed:
However, creating beds of sufficient size for vegetable or fruit growing can be cost prohibitive, with kits in recycled plastic costing £50-£75 per sq m or more.
This project was inspired by circular water and oil tanks which rely on tension in the outer skin to contain the liquid, rather than flexure of the sides. The material used is a recycled plastic used in agriculture called Stokbord, cut into strips and bolted together with stainless steel bolts. The completed construction will be highly durable and should last for many years.
Some statistics on materials:
Dimensions of raised bed
Costs:
So after a lot of turf stripping and double digging, here’s the almost completed raised bed, ready for planting and sowing during the Spring:
Fourteen musicians, seven countries, three continents, one band. Världens Band creates captivating world music that unites across borders. Världens Band performs folk and roots music from their native countries in a collision of cultures and a style they have self-branded as ‘Transglobal Roots Fusion’.
Solas is a popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band from the United States
Scotland-based singer-songwriter Lizabett Russo of Romanian heritage.
First on the Main Stage were Le Vent du Nord (The North Wind), a Canadian folk music group from Quebec. The band, formed in 2002, performs traditional Québécois music (which is heavily influenced by Celtic music from both Ireland and Brittany), as well as original numbers in this style, in French (profile from Wikipedia).
The Cash Box Kings are from Chicago and play old school Chicago blues. The band is dedicated to carrying on the spirit of the 1940’s and 50’s post-war Chicago blues sound as well as the Delta blues music of the 20’s and 30’s.
Daisy Bell is a young Singer/Songwriter from Cambridgeshire.
Songs of Separation comprises ten female folk musicians from Scotland and England reflecting on the issue of ‘separation’ in its many forms, through traditional song.
Applewood Road is a collaboration between three singer-songwriters – Emily Barker, Amber Rubarth and Amy Speace
An excellent performance from KT Tunstall – great band, lovely person, entertaining, some new songs and some more familiar tunes given a new lease life.
My next stop was The Den where I very much enjoyed the entertaining folk/rock duo Sound of the Sirens from Exeter.
The Friday night headliners were something of a contrast after the relative tranquillity of The Den. Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.
Another superb night at The Green Note. Bronwynne played two sets drawing on material from her albums Deep Black Water and Stardust plus a few covers.
There are some excellent videos on YouTube, including these two:
There a more comprehensive review here.