No Direction Home 1

Can’t believe how fast the last week’s gone.  This time last Sunday I was watching Richard Hawley on the Lake Stage at NDH.  And for those of you who were there how cool was that (I mean the festival not Richard Hawley,who was ok)?  For those of you that missed it?  Well....  gloating is not in my nature so I’ll say no more. 

And amazingly the weather held up.  I’d spent Thursday night in Sheffield where it rained solid from 4PM until 1AM and being a camping wuss my cunning plan was that if it was too wet camp I would sleep in my car and if it got too bad I would just go home.

I needn’t have worried, I got my tent up in between showers which although continued on and off through Friday and Saturday it was never that bad and Sunday was completely dry.

Much had been made about it being a mini End of the Road and apart from it being only a 2 hour drive (for me) as opposed to 6 ½ to Dorset (hurrah) I wouldn’t argue with that.  There were a lot of the same food outlets and many of the non-musical activities were similar.  It was a beautiful setting (again ditto EOTR) at the Northern end of Sherwood Forest and the festival even boasted the legendary cider bus!  But the most obvious similarity (and no complaints from me by the way) was the music.

I was going to make a thing about the performances of the Geordie girls before thankfully realising that I’d done a similar thing when reviewing EOTR 2011.  The Unthanks, The Cornshed Sisters,  Beth Jeans (no excuse for my familiarity) and Lanterns on the Lake all played both festivals.  

Beth Jeans Houghton with a special mention for her backing band the Hooves of Destiny get better every time I see them.  The Hooves bring much more to the party than I'd previously realised with their rousing melodies and searing backing vocals.  I do love bands that all sing. 

One review I read that Beth’s banter with the band and the crowd was annoying to people at the back.  Jeez?  Well move forward.  Top class light entertainment.  My fave songs of a mighty fine set were  "Your Holes" (give it a go), deffo not wasted as a b-side Beth (as you said when you played Boro), Elvis', "Your the Devil in Disguise" and annoyingly hidden track of her album, "Fuck Off".

I'd seen Lanterns on the Lake at The Sage earlier in the year supporting post rockers Explosions in the Sky.  I thought they were fairly uninspiring but they are the better for getting to know. Not a million miles away from Explosions in the Sky only with vocals.   Can't think of any particular stand out songs but I've ordered the album, so maybe one for me to go on about later.

As I say, I saw both the The Unthanks and The Cornshed Sisters at EOTR 2011.  The Unthanks are much loved by the folk fraternity and to be fair (can't believe I've just used that phrase) they have some interesting ideas.  They brought out an album of Robert Wyatt and Antony and the Johnsons songs last and were backed at NDH by The Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band (yes, of Terry Wogan fame).  It could have been good but do you know, it just wasn't. I know I'll be pilloried in some quaters for saying it  butit was all a bit samey for me, with songs about bonny lads and men going down the pit (there might have been more to it but to be honest I switched off).  It was not a coincidence that the biggest cheer was saved for "Floral Dance" (see near crowd frenzy below). 

Sunderland's (think rather than Newcastle) 4 part harmony Cornshed Sisters by contrast played a fine set at the more intimate tent covered second stage, The Electric Dustbowl.  I thought they weren't as obvious as The Unthanks with songs such as Dresden which seemed to compare love to the bombing of "Dresden" and a top version of "When Doves Cry".  Lovely stuff.