Live Review: Stroud
Fringe Festival- Saturday 29th August & Sunday 30th
August 2015
For almost two decades the Cotswold town of Stroud has held its annual Fringe Festival.
In 2009 it took on a new-look with a main stage in the town’s Bank Gardens
and a few years later moved to the Summer Bank Holiday weekend; the popularity
of the festival continued to grow year-on-year. After the festival in 2014 it
was announced that the current committee would be resigning and the search
began to find a new set of organisers.
Thankfully, a new committee was found, bringing a host of
new ideas and experiences. The 2015 Stroud Fringe Festival promised a vastly
expanded line-up including: The Bank Garden Stage, The Cornhill Stage, The
Canal Stage, The Alternative Stage, The Electronic Stage, Block Party Stage,
Street Stage, and an Emerging Talent Stage. If this wasn’t enough there were:
Spoken Word, Comedy, and Theatre performances, Art Exhibitions, family
entertainment and a procession. The music line-up alone was extremely diverse
and with so much to choose from here are five performances from across the
established Cornhill Stage, and the brand new Canal Stage: situated alongside
the historically-significant, rejuvenated Stroud canal.
The Honeyfire at
Stroud Fringe Festival, Canal Stage, Saturday 29th August 2015
Bristol
female trio The Honeyfire formed in 2012 when drummer Anja Quinn teamed up with
sisters Natalie and Sally Joiner. Formally known as Wolfhound they changed
their name to The Honeyfire in 2014. At first look they seem reminiscent of
90’s/00’s girlbands Hepburn and The Faders but with haunting vocals and deeper
lyrics they are much more similar to indie-folk band Daughter and sister duo
The Unthanks. As their name suggests The HoneyFire’s sound has sweet vocals
under-pinned by heavier electric guitar, bass and drums. A closer listen to
their lyrics reveals deeply personal and really quite dark subject matter.
Their songs focus around the themes of fear, death,
self-doubt and relationships. Opening song Delusions,
mourns a dying relationship, whilst Parallel’s
lyrics speak of another universe with the portal of light and hope diminishing.
Waiting For Orpheus
pays homage to the eponymous demi-God and vocally it is one of their strongest
songs. Closing song,
Dreams, starts
with gentle guitars but contains some of their darkest lyrics,
“…they blame you for the lies, Nobody can
hear you when you’re screaming…”
They also performed their new single: double a-side What Is Left and Come Undone. The former has a
progressive chorus, it is performed with gritty determination and heavy guitar
riffs. The latter is much more chilled-out with apocalyptic lyrics, “…Who will save us from the monsters? While
we hide away we live in fear…” Physical copies of the single were available
on a pre-release after the performance. Limited to fifty copies, signed and
with individual, beautifully hand-painted covers; an indication of how the band
is prepared to go the extra-mile for their fans.
Several times the band state how grateful they are to be
here, which you can sense from their performance but this isn’t always
reciprocated by the audience as much as it should be. In some incidences their
songs seem to transfer better on record than live, mainly because the
instruments overshadow the lyrics and vocals. These form the strength of their
sound and this is sadly a missed opportunity for those watching the band for
the first time. Perhaps a smaller venue would give their harmonies and
intricacy of their songs more prominence.
I would definitely recommend seeing The Honeyfire again.
There are not many female indie-folk bands around at the moment so there is
definitely a gap in the market for them, although they will need to continue to
harvest their potential to find the success they are capable of. Drummer Anja
is leaving the band at the beginning of September, with sisters Sally and
Natalie carrying on as a duo. However their embers are far from extinguished. If they continue to add fuel to their
harmonies, lyrics and instrumentation, The Honeyfire’s flame will burn brighter
than ever.
7/10
Set List
- Delusions
- Parallel
- What
Is Left (new single)
- The
Siren
- Wolves
- Waiting
For Orpheus
- Come
Undone (new single)
- Road
Signs
- Dreams
Sophronie at Stroud
Fringe Festival, Canal Stage, Sunday 30th August 2015
It’s Sunday morning, 11am, at the Canal Stage on the last
day of Stroud Fringe Festival. The sky is grey, the slow patter of drizzle
steadily increasing. The Big Red Bus Bar’s frontage is crowded; those who were
lucky enough to get there earlier have taken advantage of the bar’s tarpaulin,
providing some shelter at least from the dismal weather. An audience of around
twenty has battled the elements to watch the first artist of the day: Sophronie
Edwards. There is quite a delay to the start whilst the stage is set up and
sound checks take place, the audience waits patiently and after thirty-five
minutes Sophronie takes to the stage; thanking everyone for staying.
The first thing that strikes you is Sophronie’s age, the
sixteen-year-old finished studying for her GCSEs just a couple of months ago.
Originally from London
she moved to Stroud three years ago. She has recently performed at Wychwood
Festival and provided support for local artists such as Emily Barker. She often
travels with her own band but today it is just her, her guitar and a violin
accompaniment.
Sophronie’s opening song, Fire In The Heavens, is the title track from her debut album. Lyrically
poignant and with deep personal meaning; looking into Sophronie’s past this
meaning is clear. In 2010 Sophronie’s father lost his two-year battle with
cancer. As a way of coping with the grief and loss she picked up his guitar,
taught herself to play, and began to write songs: songs which inspired her to
write an entire album. The themes of loss, life and family feature heavily
throughout. Eyes Wide is about
looking into the darkness but searching for the life that still remains, while Sofa centres around her brothers and
missing their company when they’re not around. On People
Pass Sophronie sings about making the most of every day as she sets out on
a journey of loneliness. New World’s lyrics: “…I don’t know where I am, I don’t know who I am…” highlights
trying to re-establish a sense of meaning and being after significant personal
loss. Her final song, Lighthouse, she
refers to her father as a lighthouse: like looking for the beam of hope: “…say you’re not lost you’re just searching”.
At the end of the performance Sophronie reveals that she has
been unwell over the last few months and that this is the first occasion she
has been able to stand. This adds more emphasis to the point that Sophronie has
overcome many obstacles with tremendous courage. Vocally similar to Birdy, she
has a real talent for lyrically deep songs with genuine sadness. Her
performance does come across a little stilted; perhaps there are some emotional
barriers still remaining. The further development of stage presence and
performance dynamics can only come with age and experience; and because she is
still so young I am certain she can achieve this. Next time, with a larger
audience who will come with ears open, Eyes
Wide, and very much like a Lighthouse
herself: searching for this promising, inspirational, emerging talent.
6.5/10
Set List
- Fire
In The Heavens
- Burning
- Eyes
Wide
- Sofa
- Strangers
- People Pass
- New World
- Photographs
- Lighthouse
Clutching At Straws
at Stroud Fringe Festival, Canal Stage, Sunday 30th August 2015
Staffordshire alternative folk band Clutching At Straws
return to Stroud Fringe for a second time after last year’s triumphant
performance on the Bank Gardens Stage. It has been a turbulent year for the
band. In January, after over three years as a quartet, founding member James
Wheeler left the band. A multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist on many of the
songs, it left the remaining members having to deconstruct then reconstruct the
majority of their material. Then, in April, vocalist/guitarist/pianist Tom Simm
fell seriously ill with a deadly virus which almost proved fatal. The band was
forced to cancel a string of performances, including a Scottish tour, whilst
Tom began the slow road to recovery. Luckily he pulled through; in more ways
than one it is miraculous that Clutching At Straws are able to perform today.
Starting a little later than billed, through no fault of
their own but due to some unexpected site maintenance and previous artists on
the stage running late. However the rain stopped and the sun comes out just in time
for the start of the Straws’ set.
Their opening song, Through
Your Eyes, from 2013’s Come What May
EP, is the first example of a recent reworking. Originally the lead vocals were
sung by their departed member; now Tom has taken this on. The vocals are sung
with more clout than before, however the other new addition of cello, performed
by James Baskett, softens the sound. Perhaps the most noticeable difference is
the vocally is the absence of the three-part vocal blend; the contrast in tone
of Tom, James and James’s voices complimented each other perfectly. However,
the remaining two-part harmony still works well.
Percussionist Jake Mahal introduces the band and gives the
audience a warn welcome. The second song, This
Table Changes Everything, is one of the first songs the band has written as
a trio. It is quite a powerful performance, the percussion and cello fit well
but vocally it needs reining in slightly. The song has quite a different sound
and structure to most of their other songs and will probably need a few more
listens for it to settle into their set.
Ho Hey by The
Lumineers follows next, with its sing-along anthemic chorus; it is a very good
version of the song but would have had more impact with a larger audience. Just
as the song finishes more and more people venture down to the Canal Stage area.
Another brand new song, Connection
Lost, focuses on how exploitation; in particular pornography, is gradually
killing love, marriages and society. Tom takes on lead vocals and piano. The
pace is melodic and ear-catching, the lyrics relevant and topical, and vocally
it is pretty incredible. As they perform this song a group of young children
start to dance and tap their hands in time to the music. Although though they
may not understand the meaning behind the words, age holds no bounds for those
tuning into Clutching At Straws’ message. Connection
Lost: connections most definitely gained.
Love Lost Sold,
the stand-out track from their Come What
May EP follows next. This song was originally sung by Tom so doesn’t differ
too much from previous versions, other than the loss of James Wheeler’s violin.
The song starts gently, with slow rhythmic beats and sweeping cello simmering
under the surface. Then, unexpectedly, it unleashes into a fast-paced, well
executed, powerful protest about corruption and the circle of making money.
The audience continues to grow in numbers when, abruptly,
due to time constraints, the band are asked to make the next song their last.
Drummer Jake is very apologetic and the band are entirely with out blame; sadly
the decision is out of their and the audience’s hands.
Their concluding song, War
Song (also known as Freedom), is
about the band’s determination to put an end to exploitation, people
trafficking, and slavery which still effects 27 million people around the
world. Again, with the exception of the absence of violin, it does not differ
too much from the original. The vocals are performed by cellist/bassist James
Baskett, who hitherto has been under utilised vocally; perhaps there will be
more opportunities for him in the future as he has a lot to offer. He has a
richer, deeper, more gravelly tone to his voice. This is the song’s main
strength; it brings authenticity and is sung with passion and conviction. The
audience responds really well; the majority are engaged and focused on the
song’s message. With references to William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King
the lyrics exude intelligence and are an education for all. The children I
mentioned earlier are still smiling and clapping along to the rhythm.
As the band leave the stage there is a sense of
disappointment; just as they got into their stride, their performance becoming
stronger with each step; they were prevented from continuing. They still had so
much more to give. During the sound-check they performed their version of
Mumford & Sons' Little Lion Man;
along with the other songs they had planned it is a great pity that the
audience didn’t get to hear it. Considering that, in the last eight months, as
a band they have been through more than other groups experience in a twenty
year career. Their standard of performance is still high and they remain the
epitome of perseverance and professionalism throughout.
Clutching At Straws have an incredibly devoted, dedicated
desire to transform and change the lives of others through their music. In an
open-minded, forward-thinking place like Stroud this should have been their
stage.
The Big Bad Wolf of circumstance may have dealt Clutching At
Straws another blow, but in the words of their song Home “…strong foundations
still hold fast…” the House Of Straw will prove to be the strongest of all.
7.5/10
Set List
- Through
Your Eyes
- This
Table Changes Everything
- Ho
Hey (The Lumineers cover)
- Connection
Lost
- Love
Lost Sold
- War
Song/Freedom
Wildflowers at Stroud
Fringe Festival, Canal Stage, Sunday 30th August 2015
It’s early evening at Stroud Fringe’s Canal Stage; after a
day where rain very much delayed play, the sun is shining and the audience has
swelled in numbers: exactly how it should have been all day.
Formed in 2012, Bristol-Brighton quartet Wildflowers bridge
the gap between alternative country-pop and indie-folk. The band is made up by
vocalist Siddy Bennett, her sister Kit Bennett who plays piano and accordion,
guitarist/harmonica player Kendal Sant, and James Ashbury who performs guitar
and mandolin. The band has released two EPs: Where The Flowers Don’t Grow in 2013 and Let It Go in 2014. Just two days prior to this performance saw the
much anticipated release of debut album On
The Inside. This evening’s features songs from all three releases. Siddy
and Kit spent part of the childhoods in Stroud, so this evening’s performance
is very much a homecoming for them.
Opening with Take Me
Home, whose lyrics include: “…you're
the place where I belong… this is where I’m meant to be…” The song’s bright
and breezy words certainly make the audience feel at home straightaway. Edge Of The Road features mandolin and
accordion which give the song and extra lightness, like butterflies fluttering
between the long grasses in a meadow. Another
Million Miles conjures images of a journey across America on a
road trip adventure with your friends and enjoying the enriching experiences.
Lead singer Siddy doesn’t use a mic stand during the set
which means she can move freely about the stage; on several occasions she interacts
with other band members and is she able to move closer to the audience. It
gives fluidity and accessibility to the performance rather than the classic
trap of just standing still, which many bands fall into.
Where The Flowers
Don’t Grow has an edgier, rockier feeling where Siddy’s soft yet gravelly
vocals come into their own. Friends
is inspired by sisters Kit and Siddy moving around a lot during childhood:
making friends and then having to lead them behind. The song has quite a sad
air to it but their experiences have lead Wildflowers’ songs to be even more
down-to earth. Many old friends have come to watch this performance and are “…raising their glass to this…”
Wildflowers will have certainly gained a great many more friends this evening.
On Tell Me I’m Your Woman Siddy’s
vocals are more prominent, she is able to tell the story about persuading a guy
to ignore all the other women, and that she is the girl for him. Nobody
Loves My Baby’s gentle “…whooh
whooh…”, which the audience replicate and gently sway from side to side,
embracing the undeniable pull of charisma which Wildflowers have achieved
throughout the entire performance.
When Siddy announces that the next song is called Let It Go, there is the inevitable
feeling that it will be a cover of that
song from 2013 Disney film Frozen. She quickly adds that this song was written
a long time before the film was released. There is an inaudible sigh of relief
from the audience. The song is in fact about feeling like you are not being
loved but trying to put those feelings aside. Once again sad subject matter is
disguised with optimism: “…got used to living week-by-week…” /“…everybody’s happy, everybody’s glass half
full…” After hear this song the audience are most definitely glass half full.
Wildflowers’ last song is Skyscrapers is an uplifting, inspiring song about rebuilding yourself
from the ashes of despair. Indeed Wildflowers have delivered a sky high
performance. Those who attempted to purchase an EP afterwards, with the
exception of the lucky four who got to the front of the queue, would have been
left disappointed; on audience reception alone they would have sold a shed
full. However, it is an excuse to see the band again, the real new-music find
of this year’s festival.
As the sun began to set on the penultimate day of Summer the
garden of Wildflowers
blooms with beauty and vibrancy.
8/10
Set List
- Take
Me Home
- Edge
Of The Road
- Where
The Flowers Don’t Grow
- Another
Million Miles
- 100
Personalities
- Friends
- Tell
Them I’m Your Woman
- Nobody
Loves My Baby
- Let
It Go
- Skyscrapers
Emily Barker at
Stroud Fringe Festival, Cornhill Stage, Sunday 30th August 2015
Stroud’s Cornhill area, usually home to Stroud Farmers
Market with its local, high quality produce is always a popular destination;
this weekend has been home to The Cornhill Stage. Tonight is no exception as
the place is buzzing with people and conversation; there is barely a place to
sit or stand.
Originally from Western Australia but now based in Stroud,
Americana country-folk singer Emily Barker has received critical acclaim for
her albums; three of which she recorded with The Red Clay Halo band. She has
also written and recorded the theme songs to television programmes Wallander
and The Shadow Line.
Emily’s first song, Little
Deaths, from the album Almanac,
is stripped back from the original version and her vocals shine through. On Nostalgia, soundtrack to crime-drama
Wallander, Emily sings of a place far away. Listening to the lyrics you can
picture the sparse landscapes of Scandinavia,
perfect for the television show it accompanied. For the next song, Blackbird, Emily is joined by The Red
Clay Halo’s Jo Silverston. The addition of cello on this song compliments
Emily’s vocals beautifully.
The lyrics of Lord I
Want An Exit are truly heartbreaking. In the song a terminally ill man begs
God for him to be reunited with his wife, “…is
there an angel in the hallway to take me to her side…” The song
demonstrates Emily’s talent for poignant song writing. New song Stockholm Down Below gives an indication
of what could be expected from her next album.
Anywhere Anyway is
a new song which will form the soundtrack to new film Hec McAdam. The lyrics
are about escapism and wanting to be free. The song receives the biggest
applause of the evening.
Disappear, Emily’s
final song tonight, Jo Silverston returns to play cello. Once again this adds
warmth and depth to the performance. The song’s lyrics, “If a picture paints a thousand words, then a song paints a thousand
pictures…” highlights perhaps the most profound element of Emily’s music:
her ability for her lyrics to conjure strong visual imagery.
So it is a relatively short set from Emily Barker but by no
means a bad one at all. Many of her songs are quite similar to each other, her
voice is gentle but her main talent is using her voice to tell the story of her
beautiful, honest lyrics. It is regretful that her words couldn’t always be
heard over the noise of the crowd. Those wanting to hear more should invest in
Emily’s recent album, The Toerag Sessions,
a record of live recordings. Listening to it feels like Emily is in the room
with you, and in the Americana
country-folk arena, she produces lyrical artistry like no other.
7/10
Set List
- Little
Deaths
- Nostalgia
- Blackbird
(with Jo Silverston)
- Lord
I Want An Exit
- Stockholm Down Below
- Anywhere
Anyway
- Disappear
(with Jo Silverston)
Stroud Fringe
Festival 2015: A Summary
After a weekend of music, poetry, comedy and theatrics the 2015
Stroud Fringe Festival drew to a close. In many ways the festival has achieved
exactly what it set out to do: create an event which represents the diversity,
liveliness and uniqueness of the town. In some ways there was too much choice,
enough to fill a week rather than just three days.
However, problems with the fundamental issues of timings and
technical difficulties disrupted some of the performances, particularly at The
Canal Stage; will need to be addressed for next year. Hopefully these will not
discourage the artists themselves or audience members from returning to the
festival in the future.
The organisers of this year’s Fringe have done an
exceptional job in what was only their first year in the role. The sheer joy,
colour and atmosphere; which many are calling this year’s festival, “the best
Fringe ever”, has never been experienced to this extent. By learning the
lessons of what went right and what went wrong, the greatest challenge will not
be to equal the success of this year’s Fringe, but to better it. A challenge
that could result in people exclaiming: “best ever Fringe Festival” for many
years to come.
