Reviews
Event: Weyfest
Venue: Rural Life Centre
Town: Tilford
Date: 5th and 6th September 2009
Website: http://www.weyfest.co.uk/
When it's not hosting Weyfest, the Rural Life Centre is a museum, built round an old farm. It looks a fabulous family day out in its own right, and even has a narrow gauge steam and diesel railway running round it, which would keep any Thomas the Tank Engine fan happy.
To add to the family atmosphere, there's a children's playground, and for Weyfest, there were various people dressed as sci-fi characters, including a Dalek, a Star Wars storm trooper, and even R2D2.
It's in one of those places so beloved of my sat-nav. When there is a perfectly good motorway, the sat-nav will select the dirt track every time, and it took great delight in directing us through narrow country lanes to get there.
Weyfest boasts three stages, all of which are hidden away amongst the various farm outhouses, museum exhibits and craft stalls, so much so, that we only managed to track down two of them. From looking at clips on Youtube, I now understand why we didn't ever find the third: it was inside one of the buildings!
Not a problem though, as both bands we wanted to see were on the main stage. Mind you, we were a bit worried at first as to whether we'd found the main stage. The auditorium was a bit small, sandwiched between two barns. Realised we were in the right place though when we noticed the number of sweat-shirts emblazoned with "Jethro Tull".
Arrived in time for Errol Linton's Blues Vibe. An enjoyable set, with a sort of calypso/ blues/ reggae feel. Their lead instrument is harmonica, with guitar, bass and drum backing. Ideally suited to a warm sunny day at a festival.
When their set was finished, there was an exodus to the beer tent, giving us a chance to sneak to the barrier right at the front of the auditorium.
During the changeover, Nik Turner, vocalist, saxophonist and flautist from Space Ritual came on stage in order to check the microphones, and began to play on his flute. A woman, who had also managed to fight her way to the front of the crowd, was lifted on to the barrier, and played a duet with him with a flute that she had brought with her. After the balance check, Nik started a round of applause for her.
I grew up down on the South Coast, and saw many a band at Hastings Pier. Hawkind played there at least three times, but on every occasion I missed them due to lack of finances.
Happily, ran into Space Ritual at Guilfest a few years ago, and now try and get to see them whenever possible. They are a spin-off of Hawkind, comprising mainly ex-members, and their sound is pretty much true to that of the Hawkwind from the seventies.
As well as good music, they had a brilliant light show, projected on the ceiling of the stage above them. From our vantage point, right at the front, the stage roof actually covered us, so the lights filled our peripheral vision.
They also have an amazing dancer, called Angel. She'd probably admit to being no youngster, but she has huge amounts of energy, rushing off stage after each song and changing into some outlandish costume.
Jethro Tull were on next, the second of the two bands we were there to see.
Doesn't seem that long since I last saw Tull, but they hadn't celebrated their 30th anniversary then, and this year they are celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of their first album. I have clearly left it too long.
Had tickets to see them at the Acoustic Festival of Great Britain a couple of years ago, but it was rained off. The line up was retained for the following year and the tickets were still valid but we weren't well enough to go. Then this year, we had tickets to see Tull at the Shrewsbury Memories of Woodstock festival which was cancelled, so we were very pleased to finally catch them again.
Have heard several people comment that Ian Anderson's voice has lost its power, but it seemed fine to me. All of the band are really skilled musicians and all of them played a range of different instruments. Even the guitarist played the flute.
From out of the corner of his eye, Ian noticed a violin bow bobbing about behind the stage. He left the stage to go and check it out, then came back and made the roadies wire up another lead, then introduced violinist Anna Phoebe. She was there in her own right, playing on the Rustic Stage earlier, but has played with Tull many times before. So much so, that they even played one of her songs, Gypsy. Anna is a very energetic violinist, one minute doubling up like a limbo dancer, the next imitating Ian Anderson, by standing on one leg.
Ian Anderson, runs his own farm, and so a farming museum was an ideal place for them to play.
Jethro Tull overran slightly, ending with Aqualung and Locomotive Breath, accompanied by Anna. We had a very tasty chick-pea curry during the interval, but it was quite late when Mungo Jerry came on.
It was also beginning to rain slightly, so we took an executive decision not to stay for their set. Have to say, though that Ray Dorset didn't look as if he had changed an iota from the seventies. More than you can say for me.
Pete Bradley