barking folk festival

so horsemouth is back from barking folk festival (he’s a little soreheaded this morning and his hearing is still pretty fucked in one ear - earlier wax related incident).


the unthanks - horsemouth liked them this time. he still finds them a bit mannered (a bit later). no starless this time (shipbuilding of course) but lots of new stuff including a song with a tape recording of nick drake’s mum (herself an interesting songwriter). horsemouth particularly liked it when the harmonies expanded beyond the sisters to the rest of the band. they’re writing for theatre (maxine peake etc. -they’re moving in those circles).


stick in the wheel were excellent (but missing fran and the drummer who were in hospital having a baby), - their repertoire is expanding out - they did an early english country dance tune which they claimed everyone should know (horsemouth didn’t know it) and one from bagpuss (horsemouth did not recognise it) - it does sound good. it was nice to hear the songs stripped down (but it made you realize how crucial the clapping, the drumming and the harmonies are). they ended with over again.

take three girls

well three singer-songwriters (some doing some traditional material)

• nancy kerr horsemouth liked the traditional song about the silkie and liked the way she blended it into the next song (one of her own) about a friend transitioning, great voice (joni mitchell esque), he liked the idea of dedicating songs to pieces of legislation, he liked the violin at the end. 
• grace petrie (billy bragg is back among us and this time she’s an angry 30 year old socialist lesbian) horsemouth found it difficult to warm, not his thing (but clearly works for festival crowds). 
• lucy ward - here again horsemouth liked the traditional ballad delivered at speed (king willy), he liked the squeezebox, he liked the doubled voices on dead men (what her songs actually needed remarked howard), but was less enthusiastic about the singer-songwriting stuff. 

hail the suffragettes

two stilt walking ladies walked around being suffragettes (hail tall ladies),

there was a children’s playful protest parade - one kid held a sign saying he loved guinea pigs (respect little one).

if horsemouth has a regret it is that he missed the gathering on the green - various kids dancing things etc.