Moseley Folk Festival Day 3

Sunday morning and despite the BBC saying it would be dry with sunny intervals I woke up to grey cloud which turned to rain.  It rained for most of the morning but despite this we headed off toward Moseley Park. It was quieter than the previous 2 days and I wondered if the weather had played a part or whether the line up had put people off.

Whatever the reason they missed some great acts. The highlight of the afternoon was The Destroyers. A great live act!  If their music doesn't get you up and dancing, or at least tapping your feet, then you may as well save your money and not bother going to any live music events.

Lunasa and Urban Folk Quartet also played great sets.

As the evening progressed The Unthanks took the stage.  I am not sure what I feel about them.  They have some great songs and I love the clog dancing but sometimes I find their shows a bit slow.  They were well received by the crowd who had moved to the front.

Cut a Shine had a large contingent of the crowd square dancing.  A great spectacle and something I'd not seen at Moseley before.

Then came the headline act.  The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.  Not only were they great musicians but also very funny.  Highlights were their version of Anarchy in The UK and Theme from Shaft. Brilliant!

All in all another great festival. The weekend flew by! I am already looking forward to next year!

Moseley Folk Festival Day 2

Saturday brought a slight drop in temperature and the odd spot of rain. It also brought Johnny Flynn. Despite only knowing a couple of his tunes I'd been looking forward to his set and was right to do so. He performed some great songs although he didn't play any of the songs I know.

High Llamas lost me. I'm not sure what I was expecting but I came away feeling slightly underwhelmed.  The Low Anthem, on the other hand, were great. Their American indie folk went down a storm with the Moseley crowd.

I enjoyed Goodnight Lenin but without a doubt Donovan was the highlight of the day.  A fantastic set that provided pretty much hit after hit.  Catch The Wind, Colours, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Sunshine Superman, Jennifer Juniper and so on.  Having left the stage after Mellow Yellow he returned for a great version of Atlantis. The crowd wanted more but unfortunately that was to be the end.

In all a mixed day both weather and music wise and a few problems with the sound but a great way to end the second night.

Moseley Folk Festival Day 1

Yesterday was the first day of Moseley Folk Festival and what a good day it was!  The sun was shining and everyone was in good spirits.

The line up looked good with Erland and the Carnival, Fyfe Dangerfield, Turin Brakes, Divine Comedy and Beth Jeans Houghton and not one disappointed.

They all performed great sets.  Beth Jeans Houghton's show turned out to be fantastic after a slow start. A fantastic version of Nightswimmer sealed it for me.

Fyfe Dangerfield played a great set as did Turin Brakes and Erland and The Carnival.

Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy) was brilliant. I have no real knowledge of his back catalogue but after last night I intend to rectify that.  Although he lost me during one or two songs ( a touch too quiet) I really enjoyed the show and I will definitely go and see him again.

Today we have Donovan, High Llamas and The Low Anthem.  If they are as good as the bands yesterday I'm in for another great day!

Moseley Folk Festival 2010

I can't wait for this! For people who don't know (there can't be many left now) Moseley Folk Festival is held in a private park in Birmingham. It's a small intimate festival with a great vibe. People attending for the first time get the feeling they have stumbled upon something special, a secret of sorts. Not just the crowd but the performers as well.

This year is Moseley's 5th Birthday and although the emphasis is on folk music the festival takes in many styles and genres. The line up for 2010 is no exception. Over 3 days it will play host to The Divine Comedy, Turin Brakes, Donovan, The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain, The Low Anthem, Fyfe Dangerfield, Erland & The Carnival and many more.

I love this festival and can think of no better way to see out the remaining days of summer.

To give you an idea of the size and vibe of the festival you should watch this.