Bits of Bristol Folk Festival, Colston Hall 29th April to 1st May 2011

Been dancing around this all week, undecided whether to go for a lengthy narrative exposition of the events of three sweltering days spent folkin' around indoors over the May Day bank holiday, or whether instead to take the course of a series of monosyllabic reviews of the high- and low-lights of the Bristol Folk Festival.  The thesaurus having done a runner years ago, the latter seemed a little ... bold, so, a compromise seemed in order: brief comments on the best (or otherwise) of the music at the festival. 

By the way, the Show of Hands clip above is part of the series of acoustic sessions filmed for the bizarre and wonderful Songs from the Shed, which took up residence throughout the festival - and which, for reasons which still aren't clear, was selling branded t-shirts... 

Anyway, here goes. 

Bristol Folk Festival, Colston Hall 29th April to 1st May 2011

After 32 years of folk-festival drought on the banks of the Avon, the anticipation was dripping off the walls of Colston Hall on Royal Wedding day.  Rather than bounce through every band, singer, dancer that BRoutes had the pleasure or otherwise of standing (or sitting - more in a moment) through, the proposal is to pick a few disparate highlights, to laud Bellowhead's set to the skies, and to be somewhat less than complimentary about Seth Lakeman.  Patron he may have been, for which many thanks, but he might as well have screamed out "HELLOOOOO BRRRISTOL!" during his trudge-rock set.  To follow in future postings.

Curtis Eller, Grain Barge 27th April 2011

Curtis Eller is a funny man who sings sad songs.  Sad songs on a banjo.  While, very occasionally, yodelling.  (There are reviewers who fixate on the yodelling aspect of the four albums he has produced with his band, Curtis Eller's American Circus.  This is to do him a disservice.   He is a songwriter who yodels.  Sometimes.) 

The Bristol leg of his UK and Irish tour saw a near-voiceless, and so yodel-light, Eller supported at the Grain Barge by his Biggest Fans, local Klezmer madmen (and -woman) Boxcar Aldous Huxley, promoting their new, 10" vinyl-only EP The Initial Proceedings of the Boxcar Aldous Huxley Historiographical Society.  Discordantly drunk-Balkan brass, saw, woodwind, banjo and harmonium complemented or, perhaps, off-set by frontman Clawhammer Xerxes' (really?) almost-in-tune voice and late-prog-rock lyrics: think Fish on Marillion's Fugazi.  Yet somehow, just somehow, it all comes together to make for an intriguing, ear-testing hour. 

The Old Dance School, Bristol Folk House 8th April 2011

The cafe at the Folk House might make for a difficult gig, carrying as it does the suggestion of spotty tablecloths and polite conversation, dipping the lemon cake in tea while studiously ignoring the band.  But with a sound big enough to call to mind Bellowhead's saner moments, the seven members of The Old Dance School seemed blissfully unaware of any "venue issues". 

Support came from Gren Bartley, a Leicester-based singer-songwriter who has clearly imbibed deep from the flagon of Nick Drake.  Intelligent and carefully-strung lyrics warmed the crowd up nicely (oh, and "he's hot" - Mrs BRoutes).  Much of Gren's banter concerned his pie-eyed adoration for the main act, whom he had apparently petitioned to support on their tour.  Great things were expected...

Trembling Bells and The Unthanks, The Arnolfini 21st March 2011

Bit late for this, but given BRoutes is playing catch-up, might as well throw it into the mix.

Here's the shock: grunge-folk Trembling Bells outclassed Northumberland's finest The Unthanks for the entirety of their woefully short 30-minute support set, even without their band-leader, founder and arranger, Alex Neilson, on drums (his little brother stepped up to the plate in his stead).  Anyone who is going to read this blog will know how good The Unthanks are, how much fun Rachel and Becky's between-song patter is and how sad it is that they don't play their cover of Robert Wyatt's Sea Song live any more. 

But if you want to know what a post-Nirvana Pentangle might sound like, catch Trembling Bells. 

Introducing Bristol Routes

Today seems like a good day to kick off a new blog about the live Bristol folk and roots scene.  Venue magazine has gone monthly, leaving a hole in the heart of the up-to-the-minute reviewing of Bristol music.  On the up side, the Bristol Folk Festival has returned - three days of stunning set lists culminated yesterday in a majestic pairing: the inspired silliness of our very own Sheelanagig warmed up the folk-moshpit (or, as Mrs BRoutes tagged it, the foshpit) for the glory of the funky, punky but always seriously folky Bellowhead.  But more later. 

The idea is simple.  To start with, partisan reviews of folk / roots / acoustic sets in and around Bristol will be posted as and when BRoutes is allowed out of the house.  As time goes by, and if there's enough interest, the blog might decide to list gigs in advance.  For the moment, there's enough work to do designing the blog.  As well as sorting out what to say about the festival.

Before that, someone needs to review some of the other gigs from the last few weeks....