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English Folk Expo/Homegrown
A Festival Of Fine English Folk

Venue: The Met
Town: Bury
Dates: 15-17/10/15
Website: http://www.themet.biz
http://www.englishfolkexpo.com

Thursday Friday Saturday

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FRIDAY

More than just a day out at a local stately home for the EFEx delegates - their visit to Townley Hall in Burnley gave them the chance to see some more music apart from the public performances - the showcases offered by the likes of Hannah Sanders and I particular Luke Jackson had his team (Nikki and Martin Woodhead) from imageacoustic inundated with enquiries. He's a rare talent and everyone is desperately keen to grab a piece of him while they can and indicative of the sort of reaction a young folk musician can get from the Expo with the showcase opportunities they provide.

Later that same evening…Bury Light Night might have been underwhelming but anyone drifting into the Drill Hall for a warm and a blast of music can't have failed to be impressed on Homegrown's free offering. A standing audience was just what Habadekuk needed after setting out their stall the previous night. Much more relaxed, they gave a real indication of their potential - all bonhomie and engaging their audience epitomising the fact that you enjoy something more when it's free. A philosophy subscribed to by Coco & The Butterfields- a perfect band for all ages would be the cheesy tag line - and Edward II who many Ramsbottom Festival goers might have recognised with their friendly folk/roots/reggae tinged sound.

In The Met's main theatre there was some serious kit on stage. Someone had had a very busy day setting up for three bands and around seventeen musicians - the trailing cables giving the appearance of a snakes wedding. Not to mention Eliza Carthy's Wayward Band sparkly lights. The final Danish band to make an appearance were Basco, a quartet whose traditional folk instruments - accordion, fiddle, mandolin and bouzouki combined in a light and airy sound - perhaps the closest to home of the three visiting bands.

Another appearance for Ben Nicholls fronting his band Kings Of The South Seas while perched on his trademark art deco stool but sans his trademark double bass took place in an atmosphere aided by 'mood' lighting - what professed to be three ships lanterns hung on mic stands and low wattage ones at that. Very much a sea faring set based on Ben's research and some interesting background to the songs, his enthusiasm for his project shone through - good thing too as it was so dim. In nautical terms it seemed like the calm before the storm that was to follow with Eliza Carthy and her huuuge band including folk luminaries Saul Rose, Dave Delarre, Sam Sweeney, Barnaby Stradling et al. showing what it's like to have a ball playing music. To quote Radio 2: "Amazinf music played by an amazing line up." Yeah, the girl can fiddle too, but she soon dispensed with her instrument, taking on the frontwoman role, shimmying round, some might say provocatively, but after all it was a folk gig and Eliza wouldn't push it that far would she? Hopefully the Bury Times didn't pick up on the "Eliza Carthy (MBE) in Madonna styled suggestive dance outrage" headline. So packed was The Met that someone almost fell over, but yet another classic evening's end and a fine example of building a folk music bill.

Down in The Studio earlier on was a low key impressive double bill from the new pretenders Stick In The Wheel and a couple of the old guard in Paul Sartin and Paul Hutchinson who make up the duo Belshazzar's Feast. Despite the tag of having an abrasive sound with a demeanour to match, Nicola Kearey isn't as prickly as the image they'd have portray - she even let loose a smile or two softening perhaps as a result of all the positive vibes her band have been picking up. In contrast to much of their material, 'Hard Times' also shows a softer and more delicate arrangement, the dobro, fiddle and cajon for once holding back from the relentless drive they often provide.

The rambling dialogues of Paul Hutchinson, which somewhere along the lines might actually contain some element of truth, makes the Belsahzzar's experience more of a show than a gig. "Have you heard of Thomas Hardy up here? He's my hairdresser - partially sighted and with one arm. That's not his" being typical of what you might pick up at a gig. The two know each other so well musically that it's not surprising that amongst the exquisitely played pieces, they can veer of at any particular point into a Christmas tune of 'I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside' - it could appear carefully rehearsed ad libbing but you get the impression that it isn't. what it is, is a fine appreciation of folk music and dance tunes from a duo who make it look and sound so easy but are on a different musical level.

Continued