Saturday
Named after one of the brightest stars in the sky, Maia are a four piece that hail from Huddersfield. They've got an indie acoustic, alt.folk vibe going and don't seem to be afraid of using novelty instruments in their songs and actually do it in such a way that it doesn't feel totally like a gimmick.
The band released their debut album earlier in the year and on this showing definitely has the talent to deliver on the notes they're writing. With more slots like these and a good break, there's a good chance you'll be hearing more of them going forward. If this is what the Den is about, then thumbs well and truly up
Pentangle are folk rock legends, along with Fairport Convention, they really helped define the genre. As a unit, they don't get together all that often and the time between dates seems to grow as band members support their individual projects and demands. It has to be said that the sound at the start of their set was not the best that you are going hear with a few spikes before they stabilised it. This is going to sound a little ageist so an apology in advance, especially to Jacqui McShee, but it has to be said they still have it all together. They've got the songbooks in front of them just to make sure that it all still hangs together and it definite all still does.
Call me a folk heretic, but I really do have to be in the right mood to listen to Pentangle. I know they were once described as the folk Beatles and their jazz influenced sound really did change the face of music, but for me they are not a band that I can just listen to.
From one of folk's elder statesmen, I'm doing another calorie burning run to the Den in a desperate attempt to catch the end of Megan Henwood's set. I'm in time to catch the last few songs. She's talking everyone through her rather unique guitar before diving into the last couple of numbers.
Megan is a former young tradition winner (2009) and is just in the process of releasing her debut album and a cracking album it is too. She's is more than happy to include politics and conscience songs amongst her more emotion based repertoire. One song in particular berates her own generation for not getting involved enough, just complaining about things isn't enough, you actually need to try and do something about it. I've got a feeling we're going to be hearing a bit more about Megan in the next few years.
There's time for a very quick chat post gig, but she's got to be away, so I reverse my run from earlier and head back to Stage 1 for the end of the Pentangle set. My mind is in a better place for listening to the band and that's upped the enjoyment levels. It's not just that they now sound right, they 'sound right' for the time and place.
I'm really glad I came back, Pentangle don't get together all that often. I can see from the faces of the fans down at the front that they've all had a wonderful time. I'm really enjoying myself to. This isn't a band that's diminished with age. You can still feel their influence in so many other acts, directly or indirectly and at this moment, they are definitely my cup of tea.
Naturally there are calls for more, naturally these have to be passed up. There's a stage to be changed. I'm having a beer with one of the other photographers whilst that's happening, there is some music playing to accompany the change over, but we both agree that we miss the stage djs resetting the atmosphere from one act to the next.
It's a big switch of genre next, from quintessential English jazz influenced folk to Latin American rock, which would have been quite a musical journey. I really wasn't sure about Raul Malo when he was announced as the Saturday headliner, maybe still a little bitter at having wasted money on the early Maverick albums based on having bought "Trampoline" and haven't really heard a lot of his material since that band split.
Pretty much from the start of his set, I know I'm going to be eating humble pie. Raul Malo is very much an artist that should be closing a hot Summer's day at Cambridge Folk Festival, together with his band, especially accordionist Michael Guerra, I think they are about to take the roof off.
He comes on stage with beaming smile that pretty much stays fixed for the whole of the set and not in a creepy Gordon Brown type way, this radiates warmth and sincerity, here is a man that's about to have a lot of fun and whose going to take the whole audience with him.
If Raul Malo is the man that gives the sound spirit, Michael Guerra is the man that gives it body; his almost Tex-Mex accordion style gives so much depth for the rest of the band to work around and especially to provide a foundation for Malo's voice. I'm sure he could lead an absolutely cracking Zydeco band.
There are times when Raul reminds me of Roy Orbison, he's got that deep resonance running through it, it's almost like that of a crooner except, like Orbison it doesn't sound too sickly sweet, this was definitely fiesta time and humble pie has never tasted this good and it's calorie free.