Friday
The term 'Workshop' is probably incorrect for the morning Club Tent sessions these days at Cambridge. As budding fiddle and mandolin players arrived for Tim O'Brien's workshop with instruments under their arms, they were probably slightly dismayed to find them still securely tucked away in their cases ninety minutes later. It must be said that Tim's workshop served more as a Q&A on technique, than an actual hands on workshop. No matter though, Tim O'Brien's experience as a fiddler and mandolin player provided the audience with more than an insight into what goes into the craft of musicianship and I'm pretty certain those instruments were out shortly afterwards, banging out variants on the theme of Sandy River Belle.
Shortly after Tim O'Brien's fiddle and mandolin workshop, the fifth consecutive Mojo Interview took place, which is becoming as much of an institution as The Archers omnibus radio broadcast on Sunday mornings. This year it was fortunate that we had four chatterboxes in the form of Simon Emmerson, Martin Carthy, Chris Wood and Billy Bragg of The Imagined Village, as the new Mojo interviewer seemed a little monosyllabic, but there again, could he get a word in? Previous interviewees include Loudon Wainwright III, Jimmy Webb, Richard Thompson and Steve Earle and The Imagined Village was an equally good choice this year. The subject matter of Englishness had the potential to fuel a ticking bomb of a discussion with so many Celts knocking about, but in the hands of these four passionate Englishmen, things remained relatively composed and those who attended came away with a clearer understanding of what The Imagined Village might be about.
Whilst one Carthy reminisced about old head teachers, Ravi Shankar and the English way, daughter Eliza was preparing for her afternoon appearance on the Main Stage. Bearing in mind that her family elders, The Watersons, appeared at the very first Cambridge Folk Festival way back in the Sixties, it's fitting that a new generation of the Carthy dynasty made a debut on these hallowed stages. The latest addition to the Waterson Carthy clan was very clearly on show on Friday, albeit tucked away in mums tummy, whilst she strutted across the stage, once again making that entire space her very own, performing much of her new self penned album 'Dreams of Breathing Underwater'.
Five years ago The Waifs were the undisputed festival sweethearts as they stormed through three sets at the 2003 festival and clearly out-sold all other artists in the concessions tent. Their long-awaited and much anticipated return this year proved to be just as exciting as they played the Main Stage for their one and only appearance on Friday evening. Revisiting "Fisherman's Daughter" and "Lighthouse" as well as promoting the current 'SunDirtWater" album, The Waifs once again became one of the highlights of the festival.
The collaborative efforts of Jim Causley and four piece Essex band Mawkin drew a large crowd in the sweaty Club Tent by mid evening, where the audience was politely asked to stand to allow more people in, in order to get a glimpse of this extraordinary collective. I had a few concerns about guitarist David Delarre's stress level as the gremlins attacked his guitar pick-ups and I almost suggested he join me outside to hug a tree. Seriously though, when you only have a short amount of time to do your bit, especially in a showcase slot, the gremlins are the last thing you want.