Shake a leg and shake a stick, it’s Sidmouth!!!
Festival season is in full swing; we look ahead to another bash that we will be attending; Sidmouth Folk Festival.
SIDMOUTH’S 70TH
We like anniversaries here at ATB; the bigger and bouncier the better. And, amidst the growing sense of despondency creeping in around the future of festivals, several closing their doors this year or by the end of the year, isn’t it refreshing that the grandaddy of them all, Sidmouth, is still going strong. Seemingly as vibrant as ever. (Sure, it still needs support, with advance sales the best way to buy that, so, if you have been thinking it one to get around to, think no more, now’s the opportunity).
WHY IS SIDMOUTH DIFFERENT?
It’s a bit different from many festivals on a number of counts.
Rather than being pegged into a specific field, or set of fields, it takes the step of simply taking over the whole of this balmy Devon seaside town. If you are in Sidmouth, you are at the festival. And it lasts a week. Or more, if you include the pre-festival, the whole shebang running from, actually, Thursday the 4th (pre-festival) to Friday 9th, inclusive, of August. Of course, it needs a disciplined mind and careful planning to catch specific highlights, as the venues span across the whole town and run co-terminously.
Rather than pre-booking specifics, why not go the whole hog and go for the all in experience, playing it by ear and intuition. There is always something happening somewhere, which doesn’t even begin the capture the array of free entertainment for all; whether you want to sing, dance, play or just soak it all in, the town is awash with all you could possibly desire, and a whole lot besides.
Plus, in the same sense way that Cambridge treats “folk” as a starting point to extend over into just about any genre you might shake a stick at, so too is Sidmouth becoming willing to embrace a wider acceptance of the classification. Yes, morris sides, melodeon workshops and floor singers still feature aplenty, but, contrary to public perception, electricity has reached this far south and west, and electric ceilidh bands vie alongside representatives of traditions brought together from across the globe.
WHO’S ON?
So who is playing? The big hitters, I guess, are the likes of Steeleye Span and Oysterband, each showing little signs of slowing down, quite yet. Oysterband may be on the cusp of their Long Goodbye, but here play twice: a band set and a ceilidh.
Steve Knightley’s Dream In Colours take a further bound towards becoming our favourite band. Carthy senior and junior, Martin and Eliza, each appear, as does the gargantuan wall of sound that only Blowzabella can provide.
A hefty component is coming down from Scotland, ranging from Karine Polwart to the Kinnaris Quintet, through Mànran and Blazin’ Fiddles. Who’ve we forgotten? Martin Simpson, Spiers and Boden, jings, the list is endless, with a tally of youngsters; Frankie Archer, Maddie Morris, Granny’s Attic, all there too. Check out the full line up here. If you already have a ticket, you can check out the full programme here.
Here’s a taster Sidmouth Folk Festival 2024:
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