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Great British Folk Festival 2014

Venue: Butlins
Town: Skegness
Date: 5-7/12/14
Website: http://www.bigweekends.com/

Friday Saturday Sunday Gallery

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Twenty Fourteen is a year that has put the Young Uns very much on the map. Great tours, "Never Forget" an album that will see them featuring in a lot of end of year charts, I'm sure, as well as appearances on a number of compilations and projects has seen them really rise in the public consciousness.

Their shows and I mean shows are a combination of songs, many accapella, shanties and good natured banter, much of which is the right or wrong side of politically correct, depending on your view point. They are also a trio that are heavily influenced not only by the area they were born and raised in, but by news stories and a strong sense of justice.

There is a nautical theme that runs through much of their work and songs like "Three Sailors" reflect areas of war that often get forgotten. There's a number of good exchanges with the audience, particularly the in the lead up to the wassailing section of the set, it is December after all.

This was definitely one of the sets you wanted to be at, brought home by how soon it appeared to finish, time spent in the company of the Young Uns is time well spent indeed.

Time for the second Full English of the day, this time across at Centre Stage and a quick pop out into the bracing night air to get there. As I mentioned earlier, the material of the Full English is drawn from the collections at Cecil Sharp house and whilst many of the songs were collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, their origins go back a long way.

The Full English is a veritable super group of performers, most with albums in their own names and with many other acts. It give the band so many different experiences to draw on and so many different ways of presenting songs, they are without a doubt one of the finest folk groups that have been put together and I've really enjoyed every performance I've seen of them, which is why it's such a wrench to leave them and go back to Reds for Bella Hardy.

Bella is one of England's best fiddle singers as well as being one of English folk music's best writers. In keeping with the season, she's come dressed as her own glitterball and it's not just the dress that's shining, the performance she turns in, accompanied by Anna Massey and Angus Lyon is something special.

It's a set that covers all shades of the folk spectrum, though mainly on the darker, more murderous side. That's off set by the lighter nature of the between song banter and a list of Anna's victories over Angus as at variety of activities during the afternoon whilst Bella was riding the flumes.

It was a great set and one that really pulled in an atmosphere, great songs eloquently delivered and that just left one last act for me that evening, Capercaillie.

It's been a while since I caught up with Capercaillie. They don't see to get out and about as much as they used to which is a shame, because as a band they have definitely still got it. The core of the band have been together for well over twenty years and that familiarity really allows them to explore their music because ultimately everyone knows when the sound needs to be back together.

Add to that Karen Matheson's fantastic voice and the longevity of the band pretty much becomes self explanatory. They are an excellent and dynamic band and a great way to round off The Great British Folk Festival 2014.

A big thanks to all the people that helped make this review and gallery possible, particularly the various stage crews, an excellent job this year.

Words Neil King, photocredit Mike Ainscoe.