Friday review

Cambridge Folk Festival 2001

26th-29th July 2001
Cherry Hinton Hall Grounds, Cherry Hinton Road, Cambridge.

Friday Review | Saturday review | Sunday review

The 37th Annual Cambridge Folk Festival sold out 6 weeks previous, a remarkable festival that has provided excellent entertainment and a family atmosphere that you'd be hard pushed to find at many other festivals. They say 'there's nowt queer as folk' but does this apply to music or people in general? Bear in mind that I went to CFF as a total folk virgin, I do not own any folk records, I'm just trying to convey the flavour of the event. I cannot do the music justice, as I'm not clued up enough on all the artists and their work, so it's a brief apology. Thursday I have to gloss over completely I didn't get there until Friday evening. and felt like I was one of the last to arrive. The campsites were packed but the main difference to usual festi camping areas was the size of the tents, there were a lot more family tents around, because this is after all a family event. B&B and Hotels in Cambridge also had the 'No Vacancies' signs up due to the fact that it's held in the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall, which is in a suburb about 20 minutes walk from the town centre. Those requiring a festival with the best of both worlds can be adequately catered for if you have the disposable income.

So I lost my folk cherry in Cherry Hinton and you never forget your first time - so thanks goes to Brian Kennedy for that, the sex symbol of the Folk world. Those of you that were there will know that Brain was on the main stage about 20.30 hrs and second last on the bill that day, so what was I doing since I arrived? The traffic wasn't exactly helpful and a closed road all added to my delay. Plus the standard 'space cadet mode' of first arriving and getting sorted always kicks in once inside any festival arena. Once I'd come through all that, and having missed Sharon Shannon & The Woodchoppers - who would have been the only other band I would have been able to see - it was time for Brain Kennedy. Not knowing what to expect I chilled out and listened, some pleasant banter with the crowd, some sing-a-long numbers, and a final song a cover version of World Parties 'Put the message in the box' went down a storm and immediately gave me something to identify with. The guys got pedigree, having previously sung a duet with Ronan Keating on his album and been a guest of the Corrs. No point getting worked up about music you know very little about but that was good and everyone else agreed.

What else did my fellow punters have to say about the festival - 'Ideal for families' was a general opinion and there were children of all ages about. 'I've been coming here for years,' was another widely voiced opinion. But what about the bands? 'The Peatbog Faeries were good' someone says. Good a lead a band to check out tomorrow, because although this festival covers four days a lot of the bands tend to play twice sometimes more and on different stages, so immediately you know you can spread yourself about and not worry about missing this performance because you know you'll see them at that performance. It doesn't apply to the headlining acts but think it's a fine idea.

The Levellers are headlining tonight, are they folk? I don't care I'm familiar with their music so I make sure I get a good plot to watch them from. The main stage area is rammed to capacity and there's not even enough space to swing a penny whistle outside the main tent; which gives punters an obscured view of the stage but tends to be inhabited by the hardcore sitting brigade. Nothing wrong with that, these people are here for the music, it's well relaxed and people are happy to veg out and sup a brew or two. It was pretty electric waiting for the Levellers the night was humid as the sun had been shining all day and with day tickets available in advance it gave an opportunity for ardent fans to come along and see their favourite band and leave without wasting the price of the full ticket on the other days. Consequently there were quite a few Levellers fans present which enhanced the atmosphere. Carry Me was the opening song followed by Fear which kept the pace going but then it cooled off a bit, this was due the majority being unfamiliar with there repertoire. However they saved the best for the last half of the gig and when What A Beautiful Day kicked in the mood lifted and it was job done as they hit the home straight Game was followed by Battle Of The Beanfield before coming back for two encores. One for which included the appearance of Nick Burbridge from McDermott's Two Hours an original inspiration for them. The crowd left satisfied, children still held aloft on parents shoulders. I'd only just arrived but already it was time to quit for the night.

I managed to grab a quick interview with Mark Chadwick of the Levellers.
You've played Cambridge FF before what do you expect from tonight?
"I think we'll have a very good time"
What's do you think of Folk Festivals?
"I think they're excellent there should be more of them, I think they're the safest place to be at any give time. If you were on the run I reckon I'd come to a folk fest, if some really bad people wanted to kill you a folk fest would be the place to hide. There's no edge out there."
Have you played any other Folk Fests?
"We played the Trowbridge Pump Fayre in about 1989 but it was all penny whistles trilbies and tankards. It's really nice here; it's all sorts of people here. I've seen people in Metallica T-shirts. You don't have to be into folk music to come to this to enjoy yourself; it's actually just a nice space to be in. It's just cool, very English very cool."

He's right with that last comment as someone else said to me on the Saturday, "Cambridge Folk Festival is like a village fete without the cream tea."
Day two of the festival was over but it was only day one for me and I'm enjoying myself.