Cambridge Folk Festival 2024 – Live Review

By Mike Ainscoe on 31st July 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Cambridge Folk Festival – 25-28th July 2024

While many of their folk festival peers are finding times a-changing, hard times coming round, Cambridge Folk Festival manages to maintain its status of authority. The musical bill and range of folky activities in a setting that offers the option of a wild night’s dancing to chilling out in a wild flower garden is pretty unbeatable. It’s like, dare we say, Glastonbury where you can easily stay away from the big name headline acts and have a relaxed weekend of rustic discovery.

thursday

Things start well; being asked “are you a musician?” by the pass exchange staff at Coldhams Common campsite when offering up my ‘special‘ press e-ticket, bodes well. With a recommendation from the staff for Deepdale Folk Festival, where ATB appointed faves Skinny Lister headline this year, it’s off to the shuttle bus (never had to wait for more than two minutes this year on an outward or return journey – well done Cambridge transport!) when a reminder to not bang my head when taking a seat with the hard/cool kids at the back, is duly ignored.

Thursday is about getting eased in with some flitting between Stages 2 and 3 and The Den without the crowds that start to fill the site on Friday. So at the press area we encounter Frog In A Bucket and then Lily Lyons getting ready for an interview and a Cambridge Radio session before Lily is kicking off at The Den with her gentle guitar and lovely rich tones a contrast to the hugely animated Smith & Brewer big band on Stage 2. Last seen as support on a Fairport tour, the duo’s segue into an expanded outfit is a smart move, particular with the Smith/Brewer duo guitar dueling at the front.

Canadians, The Paperboys keep up the energy with a raft of styles and several thousand gigs behind them, our first viewing leaves a favourable impression. We even catch All Along The Watchtower given a Crowded House-esque treatment wandering by later. Similarly, you could say that Ralph McTell has some history. Of course, he does his ‘hit’ and it’s some ‘hit’ and at almost eighty, he still manages to crisply finger pick the acoustic with barely a note out of place. One might just question how he doesn’t get the ‘Folk Legend’ icon next to his name in the programme. A genuine and lovely man and there can’t be many on the 2024 bill or even in the Folk world who are more loved than Ralph.

Over on Stage 3 are performers whose career path is beginning to shape up. We known the charms of Charm Of Finches (amusingly marked as ‘Charm Of Fingers’ on the whiteboard backstage…) and their presentation of ethereal, folk-tinged creations. The poppier Clean Cut sees them while namechecking their recent Marlinchen In The Snow record with Mabel and Ivy donning another pair of outfits that match the mood. The Brothers Gillespie add their own take on giving us the opportunity to marvel at the type of pitch perfect harmonies which are a feature of the weekend before Malin Lewis showcases their new Halocine album while educating the crowd on the benefits of vinyl and cameras with film as an aside to some haunting playing as part of a trio.

Even without a late night of roistering from Rum Ragged, it’s a great start to 2024.

friday

Friday promises to be a big one. The sun is out in force for the weekend and with the sound of bagpipes, real or recorded, on Coldhams, we’re unashamedly about to be seduced by much of what’s on offer on Stage 1 today.

Talisk, Saving Grace and Fantastic Negrito all live up to expectation and they’re preceded by a chilled out set from Bess Atwell, a beautifully played world music journey from Nitin Sawhney and anything but a chilled out set from guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel. “I thought I’d start with a couple of ballads!” is his opening quip after blazing through some serious acoustic guitar shredding. He’s set to reappear later on Saturday but is just another one of the insanely talented musicians on the bill. Talking of which, Michael McGoldrick – the busiest man at the festival? – is up too with Capercaillie, frolicking through a Scottish set that sets the scene for a large proportion of rather tremendous Scottish contributions to the bill.

Stage 3 has English Folk Expo and Sound Roots’ Tom Besford introducing the Sound Roots showcase with Robbie Cavanagh, Kirsty Almeida (“from Gibralter via Rochdale“), Harp & A Monkey (first time at Cambridge and engaging fully with a radio session) and the “ready made community ” that is Brown Wimpenny all representing Greater Manchester. The Wimpennys challenge Transatlantic Sessions with a stage wide line up, offering some confessionals – “I’m often drunk and I’m seldom sober” – and arrangements that might be made for dancing (or not) and some pick up the gauntlet. While Kirsty and the Harps might have some, erm, experience, the Wimpennys are a talent on the rise and well worth monitoring.

Recommended by our own Seuras Og, Hannah Rarity and Assynt, both have featured on our pages, and represent the start of a Scottish takeover – Showcase Scotland – that’s set to run well into Saturday.

Stage 2 sees Rum Ragged moving up for another set;Taylor McCall following his turn on the Saving Grace tour to “travel a long way to play for y’aall“) and an Urban Folk Theory ceilidh. Nora Brown gives a first glimpse of her prodigious talent on the banjo before she joins fellow banjo goddesses on Saturday and then there’s a trio that represents the real breadth of Cambridge Folk Festival. Dan Owens + The Sinners) gives a Scottish flavour to Americana – Scoticana? – while Birdvox sees the combination of four creative talents combine in a fusion of electronics and traditional sounds in their bird-themed uniforms. Flamy Grant then outdoes everyone; flamboyant drag in a striking pink jumpsuit and a set of Christian country music, the likes of which could well have been a first for Cambridge. Great to see several in the crowd making an equally colourful contribution.

But to the main draws, where as we were reminded that anyone who was in attendance in 2017 will know what was to comes as Fantastic Negrito again took the stage. In his recently repaired gold cape – thanks to the Repair stall – and immaculate appearance, he and his crack band once again turned Cambridge on its head. A personal highlight of the weekend, the entertainment value is top notch as he switches from piano to guitar but mostly pulls out an endless string of Jagger/Prince/James Brown moves against a backdrop of Blues, Soul, Gospel and Funk that sidetracks the Folk focus for an hour or so. Mesmerising. As are Talisk who promise to “smash it from start to finish.” A folk festival becomes a rave with a tornado of notes accompanying the flashing and roving lights as Mohsen Amini takes several opportunities to jump atop (and off) his chair to goad (not that its needed) the younger audience who’ve swapped places with the more mature Plant fans who’ve had their fill, into abandon. Rocking their chairs in a way that would cause Val Doonican to turn in his grave, you could say that Amini, Galloway and Morris destroyed Cambridge.

It’s Plant’s name that gets the biggest billing on the posters and T shirts. Watching him stroll into the backstage area, it’s hard to imagine this is the guy who has such a legacy; one that needs no reminder or landmarking. Seeing him greet Fantastic Negrito (“now there’s a face I know!” – they apparently met in Stourbridge) and witnessing his many incarnations is a sign that he doesn’t live in that very famous past. There are the odd references from 1970/1, but the pleasure is to see and hear him doing what he wants and what he’s happy with. The partnership with Suzi Dian and recruiting another set of empathetic musicians that combine various acoustic forms is testament, especially when he makes the introductions and she delivers an exquisite reading of Bert Jansch’s It Don’t Bother Me. Unusually with Planty on bass, the single best performance of the weekend? A couple of others might come close…

saturday

And there’s no real let up as the meat of the weekend hits. We catch the last of the great Showcase Scotland where Ainslie Hammil (last seen y-o-n-k-s ago with Barluath) is supported by temporary Scots, Sam Kelly and Toby Shaer. They ensure both subtlety and passion in their musicianship, particularly on the last song which to untrained ears to the language, might sound like a great chance to fire off a volley of expletives. Great stuff.

It’s the only diversion from the main stages again aside from a relaxing wander. A few moments from the main hub, festivallers are willow weaving, drawing, clogging meditating or even just paddling around the duck pond. meanwhile, there’s a similarly low key start to events as Jeremy Dutcher brings his native Canadian background to a contemporary setting, aided by a lovely Steinway piano. While competing with the attractions of the legendary Brian McNeill sessions, Butler, Blake & Grant sit side by side and deliver aaa tremendous set of their work in other bands whilsts also adding a bit of Dylan and Neil Young to the repertoire. It is a folk festival after all and the promise of an album from their collaboration the combo of acoustic guitar with Bernard Butlers electric decoration is a perfect soundtrack for the sunny setting.

As too is the rumbustious Transatlantic Sessions line up that, lines up across the stage allowing for assorted members to take the spotlight and enjoy a session band to die for. Picking on songwriters such as Si Kahn and Ewan MacColl, it’s left to the McCusker/McGoldrick duo to get the blood boiling, not for the only time, just one of the highlights on a constant flow of treasures. Not wanting to appear spoilt, but Darlingside return after their 2016 debut and are as delighted as the audience to be here. The slightly expanded line up into a quintet adds a depth to the sound and chance to make their famous harmonies even more breathtaking.

Over on Stage 2, Peggy Seeger makes her first appearance of 2024 accomanied by Leyla McCalla (her Stage 1 set giving us breathing time after a whirlwind start and with the protect of more to come) and Nora Brown. The three Banjoy Goddesses talking banjo and playing a tune or two, giving the feeling of sitting in on a private conversation between master and students. After a Korean experience with Sangjaru gently nudging the boundaries of what to expect at a folk festival, Niall McCabe and Aoife O’Donovan delivered full sets after their mouthwatering amuse bouche stops with Transatlantic Sessions. and then The Langan Band, expecting seats and Guardian readers after playing Shrewsbury, and the irrepressible Honeyfeet, made sure that the late evening sets delivered the sort of joie de vivre to send Stage 2 dwellers away nothing less than satisfied.

As did the action on Stage 1. Knowing what to expect (sort of) from Turins Brakes’ appearance at Cropredy in 2022, the band has cause for celebration with the 21st anniversary of the Ether Song album. A perfect aperitif for the electrifying set from Larkin Poe. Taking a leaf from the Fantastic Negrito handbook how to get you fix by kicking the blues, the Lovell sisters have paid their dues, working their way from the Cambridge Den to headlining the main stage and 2024 is a triumphant doe of Rock and Soul dripping with bluesy slide guitar. Absolutely electric, Cambridge folk Festival is transformed from Talisk’s rave to a dirty and rootsy Southern state roadhouse with the Lovells threatening to spill over from the lip of the stage.

The award winning Blood Harmony is the focus as they swagger onstage wringing out a Bluesy riff and grooving on some sweet cherry pie in a manner that’s bound to have bands such as Rival Sons, Lincoln Durham and The Black Crowes and surely Mr Slash (as they’re supporting his US tour) nodding in knowing approval. Blown. Away.

sunday

Top that. We do try with two (as marked by the icon in the programme) Folk Legends in Peggy Seeger and Oysterband on Stage 1 for the final day. “Never say never,” deadpans (but what else?) Ian Telfer as Oysterband tick off another gig on their long, long goodbye. However, it’s a more tranquil Sunday that starts with the traditional Archers over the PA following by the surely tongue in cheek programming of Frankie Archer. We already know of her impressive and imaginative subversion of folk – mainly on murderous songs – into loops and reverb that makes way for something more traditional with the irresistible Quebecois foot percussion of Genticorum. A style that veers into the rabid and the rapid is always a winner at festivals, the spirits raised briefly before being gently lulled by Katherine Priddy accompanied by George Boomsma.

After being shook up and spat out by Larkin Poe, there’s a much calmer feel around the place. The angelic voices of Ben and Dom’s choir in The Den and the tranquility of the flower garden and a songwriting workshop only disturbed by the rumble of the toilets being pumped clear…

With the master of Dobro – he’s never in a million years just what he calls a “lonely Dobro player” – Jerry Douglas back after fronting Transatlantic Sessions, much admiration is forthcoming for the alternative to fire and brimstone. With Lizzie No on harp and the sub-classical piano of Sarah Hagen making Stage 2 alternative chill out zone and the Music Norway showcase on Stage 3 more educational with (folk) tales of creatures that drag you down through the toilet seat, anyone wanting to let off steam in a fury of folk could always rely on McGoldrick, McCusker and John Doyle panning for gold and finding some nuggets on Stage 2. The sweat and the intensity was flowing in the first five minutes

The chance to see Peggy Seeger and family (plus Ben Nicholls – later seen escorting Peggy through the backstage area in a touching snapshot) was stuff of Folk Legend. At times, touching on some dark, dark areas, talk of memorable moments of the weekend must see Peggy singing how “the memory of love is burning in my heart, I’m thinking of heading for home” or hear her accompanied by son Calum on How I Long For Peace must rank up with the worth the ticket price alone’ bracket. ‘ Only the cold and stoney hearted could fail to have been moved.

It kind of made up for not witnessing Blue Rose Code’s Caledonian Soul Cavalcade, but Oysterband proved a worthy personal finale. And quite apt too as a band, remaining mainly with the Jones/Telfer/Prosser trio as the core, like the festival itself, have endured. The little fist bump celebrations of John Jones every now and again, a sign of their survival instinct. Cool as Folk indeed and next year, we’re sending in an army to get to grips with Stage 3 and beyond!