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Fay Hield and The Hurricane Party

Venue: The Point
Town: Eastleigh
Date: 26th March 2013
Website: http://www.fayhield.com/

The reality is that touring the UK in spring time necessarily involves battling gale force winds one minute and sliding on ice the next. I should know, I completed a tour of my own this February and had trekked across the New Forest to support Fay Hield's gig with The Hurricane Party at The Point in Eastleigh. And so it was that at some point during March Sam Sweeney (he of Bellowhead /Remnant King /Kerfuffle fame) contracted bronchitis, had an asthma attack and had to bow out of the Eastleigh gig on Fay Hield's Hurricane Tour.

After a day of heavy rehearsals the band (now incorporating replacement violinist Miranda Rutter) having split out the necessary solos and breaks, stepped up to the challenge. Such a challenge may not appear difficult given that Fay Hield's Hurricane Party is made up of Andy Cutting, Rob Harbron and Roger Wilson. And this goes to show that being a well connected musician (and therefore having a band made up of the best musicians the folk world has to offer) as well as feeling comfortable with your material goes a long way to putting on a successful show.

We were perhaps a quieter audience than Fay was used to. Nonetheless her humour and enjoyment of the night was seemingly unaffected and she invited us to join her in a number of songs throughout the evening. 'You make your own tune up -it's called harmony where I come from.'

The unaccompanied song 'Pretty Nancy of Yarmouth' demonstrated well Fay's vocal capabilities; her clear and precise ornamentation indicative of the English folk tradition. The instrumental breaks in each song were equally purposeful and considered with Andy Cutting's and Rob Harbron's subtle yet complex landscaping on melodeon and concertina, whilst the sensitive vocal accompaniment provided by Roger Wilson on Fay's version of 'Barbara Allen' was equally powerful.

Another strength which ran throughout Fay's performance is the ease with which she establishes the context of her material. A teaching associate at the University of Sheffield, it is no surprise that Dr Fay Hield communicates concisely both the context and content of her chosen material.

Verdict: did we miss Mr Sweeney's beaming smile, cheery disposition and energetic playing? Yes. Did The Hurricane Party whip up a storm? Yes.

Louise Jordan
Photocredit:Neil King

The Fatea Team wish a speedy get well to their current instrumentalist of the year, Sam Sweeney