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Purbeck Folk Festival

Venue: Wilkswood Farm
Town: Isle Of Purbeck
Date: 24th to 26th August
Website: http://purbeckfolk.co.uk

Saturday 25th

A trend that I've noticed in recent years is not having the headliner on as the final act of the night, but to have them as last but one in order to facilitate more of a drift away from a stage, rather than a surge and that was the case here, with KT Tunstall going on last but one.

As her appearance came that bit closer, it was noticeable that more people were standing close to the stage in the area reserved for seating as well as drifting back up the access path. At the front, it didn't matter quite as much as those standing were tucked in quite tight and it's a tall(ish) stage so views were not being obstructed, the same could not be said when stood further back.

KT Tunstall is arguably the biggest name to play Purbeck Folk Festival so far and had drawn a crowd to match. She's got a beaming smile across her face, she's barely on the stage and you know that she's going to be enjoying this as much as we are.

To say KT is a solo performer is to do injustice to the box of sound tricks that accompany her performance as she builds her songs live on stage. She's obviously in a jaunty, almost mischievous mood as well as very spangly trousers. She bangs the expectations' placed on her from the get go this is going to be a great set.

It's also a little too close down at the front, I steadily make my way back up the barn to get a better sense of the occasion, a better view of the stage as a whole. I also pass a discussion about the merits of sitting and having someone standing nearby in the seated area and how that might affect a given view. It's never going to be an easy one to solve, but credit to Purbeck, their solution seems to work well.

It was quite some performance, one which more than justified her headline tag. She knows how to build an atmosphere as easily as she knows how to build a song. It's something truly interesting to watch and listen to, more than that it's highly entertaining and there's still more to come.

To end my day at Purbeck Folk Festival I'm off to the High barn to catch some of the more raucous sound of The Roving Crows.

If the Moulettes are a festival band, then The Roving Crows have to carry that banner too, though in many ways the two bands are chalk and cheese and yet definitely within the big family called folk. The Roving Crows draw more on the Celtic side of the genre, through in a little ska, a bit of brass and a whole lot of in your face attitude.

The power of the guitar and fiddle combo would be more than enough for most power folk, but throw in a bit of trumpet, kit drums and a whole host of roughhouse harmonies and you're a long way towards understanding why this band picked up "Top Celtic RockBand" at this year's Irish music awards, as well as "Top Fiddle Player", there's a reason why we've been championing their cause.

This is a great way to end any Saturday night and there's still a few old friends to bump into as I take the hike back to the car. Purbeck Folk Festival definitely lived up to its billing and I felt a realsense of disappointment that I wouldn't be back for the Sunday.

Words & Pictures:Neil King