Stroud Folk Festival, Stroud Subscription Rooms,
Saturday 19th September 2015
The following is a review of the Saturday night concert
during the 2015 Stroud Folk Festival.
Hattie Briggs
Opening proceedings this is evening is Stroud-based singer
Hattie Briggs. With only 40 minutes to perform, her set list is mostly derived
from her debut album Red & Gold,
which was released in April. A Beautiful
Mind, her tribute to folk singer Pete Seeger, is well received; undoubtedly
there would have been fans of his in the audience. Tilly’s Song, originally from EP My Shepherd’s Hut, is a story of friendship and childhood memories.
The song has recently been reworked (with added banjo, double bass and backing
vocals) and was available as a limited CD single after Hattie’s set. Just
before the performance an audience member notices them and is heard remarking
that her Granddaughter is named Tilly. When Hattie completes her performance
this lady is witnessed buying the CD, a first hand example of Hattie’s ability
to create lyrics of real meaning to others. A new song entitled You Only Live Once speaks of living for
the moment and echoes Hattie’s decision to quit her Oxford University
For the next four songs Hattie puts down her guitar and
switches to the piano. Share Your Heart
contrasts with the previous song as it speaks of times where Hattie had a
bleaker outlook on life. All About Love
is sung either side of an anecdote about a friend’s wedding which Hattie had
played at earlier that day. She said both the bride and the groom had secretly
arranged her to play the song, causing slight confusion when she arrived
without the other realising. Lyrically it is the perfect choice for such a
romantic occasion.
Still With Hope I See
remains one of her best songs with its emotionally crafted poignancy. Pull Me Down is Hattie’s words of wisdom
to herself about not falling into the pitfalls of changing due to fame and
success. She has never performed the song with more determination and purpose
than tonight; as a result it is the strongest part of this set. Her final song
is a cover of Fields Of Gold. It
draws heavily from Eva Cassidy’s version and is of an equally high standard. It
is even more fitting that Eva’s brother Dan performs violin on the album
version of this song.
Despite being on stage for the shortest time this evening
Hattie continues to deliver performances which stay in the audience’s hearts
and minds long after she leaves the stage.
8/10
Set List
- A
Beautiful Mind
- Tilly’s
Song
- You
Only Live Once
- Share
Your Heart
- All
About Love
- Still
With Hope I See
- Pull
Me Down
- Fields
Of Gold
Lisbee Stainton
Opening song Is
Whispering has a gentle ambience, but backed by fellow musicians James and
Andy on guitar and drums, who throughout the evening give an extra layer to the
songs. Eloise, from Lisbee’s most
recent album Word Games, tells the
story of a person’s life falling apart but desperately trying to stay strong.
The album’s string laden version is sadly missing but lyrically it shines with
positivity. Girl On An Unmade Bed,
taken from the 2010 album of the same name, was written when Lisbee was still
in her final year at university; feeling confused and unsure about the future.
Anyone who has been in a similar situation will emphasise with the uncertainty
and expectation of this crossroads in life. Around six years have passed since
this song was written and Lisbee seems to have overcome these barriers as she
performs with ease and confidence.
For her next song, Go,
Lisbee attempts to split the audience into three so they can sing the chorus in
a sort of “round”. Whilst this does engage the audience to a certain extent it
doesn’t work as well as it should, mainly because the audience is not familiar with
the song and numbers wise the parts are slightly unbalanced.
Red invokes
memories of Lisbee’s time growing up in Basingstoke
and spending time in her garden. This is one the best songs of the set and the
ten string guitar really adds to the gentleness of the lyrics. New song Leaving is about her decision to move
from Hampshire to London
On Red Dog Running
the audience joins in with part of the chorus, she finally achieves their
backing. The song is very melodic, memorable and gives and insight into
Lisbee’s view of “…the red dog leading the hounds”. It has a strong moral
lesson for those who choose to take part in such activities. The final song, Find Me Here, is a lovely end to her
set; the audience clap along.
Overall Lisbee is a very competent and confident performer.
However throughout the set for both her and her musicians, the volume level is
set too high. It is a great shame that this tended to overshadow the sound of
the eight and ten string guitars. This should have been the most fundamental
element of her performance The ballroom at Stroud Subscription Rooms has a
beautiful raised ceiling and as a relatively small venue is perfectly equipped
to provide the natural acoustics required. Perhaps she is more used to noisy
pubs or festival stages where a higher level of audio is needed. Whilst her
style of contemporary folk- pop may not have been appreciated by the more
traditional musical tastes in the audience she is a very talented lyricist,
vocalist and musician and her songs do hold relevance for the younger listener.
Next time, an acoustic performance would allow the intricacy and delicacy of
her guitars to shine through. The Girl On An
Unmade Bed may still have some mountains to climb but for Lisbee Stainton
may all her dreams continue to come true.
6.5/10
Set List
- Is Whispering
- Wrench
- Eloise
- Girl On An Unmade Bed
- Go
- Navigating
- Red
- Leaving
- Sidekick
- After Every Try
- Red Dog Running
- Wait For Me
Steve Tilston
Born in Liverpool but
raised in Leicestershire Steve Tilston released his first album, An Acoustic Confusion, in 1971. An
impressive career of forty five years includes over twenty critically acclaimed
albums, Radio 2 Folk Award nominations/wins and appearances on Later With Jools
Holland. He has become one of Britain
His opening song, Weeping
Willow Replanted, is a rewrite of an older song. The bluesy guitar lifts
the song just like the wind lifting the tips of the tree’s branches as they
skim the surface of a river.
The Way It Was is
dedicated to former member of The Steve Tilston Trio, Stuart Gordon, who last
year lost his battle with cancer aged 63. Steve admits that a sign of getting
older is that sadly the number of departing friends is increasing. The song’s
poignant lyrics are a fitting tribute and those in the audience who knew Stuart
would have shed a tear or two.
Steve introduces Jacaranda as the token happy song.
Originally from Australia
The Road When I Was
Young is Steve’s journey through the past forty five years, from telling
his father he wanted to be a folk singer up to the present day. Grass Days, taken from his current album
Truth To Tell, is a thank you too all
the people who helped him move to London
Steve then recites an anecdote about his daughter Sophie’s
wedding. She had asked him to sing Jacaranda
after the wedding speech, but that he had decided to sing something else;
launching into a version of Let’s Face
The Music And Dance. The audience roar with delight. After the song he
remarks that she still hasn’t forgiven him.
Steve leaves the stage to rapturous applause. He is invited back for an encore, Oil And Water, which he has previously
performed on the Jools Holland programme. It consolidates his set and for his
many fans in the audience it has been an enjoyable evening. Although his music
may appeal most to the more traditional folk fan; his songs have kept a similar
style and sound throughout his career; there is much to admire about Steve
Tilston. The songs are lyrically reflective and his skilled guitar playing is
the testament to the longevity of his career. No matter what your opinion of
his music, forty five years after he perused his music dreams, Steve Tilston
will continue to entertain audiences for a long time to come.
7/10
Set List
- Weeping Willow Replanted
- Fisherlad
Of
- That Man Is Running Out Of Road
- The Way It Was
- Jacaranda
- The Road When I Was Young
- Grass Days
- Yo Me Voy
- Let’s Face The Music And Dance
· Oil And Water
New Rope String Band
Comedy folk trio New Rope String Band, previously Old Rope
String Band, are embarking on their farewell tour. Since 1988 they have gone
through various guises but after its founding member Joe Scurfield died 2005
they wanted to continue in his memory. The group now consists of: founding
member Pete Challoner, accordionist Tim Dalling and violinist Jock Tydeley.
They enter the stage dressed as stage hands, moving scenery
and props into place before swiftly exiting. Once more they enter the stage
playing instruments: two violins and an accordion, stomping in time to the
music. The first act is “The West Coast Of Scotland”. The violin makes the
sound of rain and a long plastic tube is used to create a howling wind. Jock climbs
behind a large screen, his head appears above it. Then, unbeknown to the other
two he presses a large sea shell to his lips and blows through it. Similarly he
holds up a large bell; despite a certain level of expectation the audience
jumps with surprise as the sonorous tone breaks the tranquillity of the
hitherto calm underscore. They have only been on the stage a matter of minutes
yet the audience are already transfixed.
A key to this type of performance is creating the perfect
deliberate mistake, for example when the rainstick’s ball-bearings cascade all
over the floor. Another element is the ability to push the boundaries between
shock value and comedy value. Scotsman Tim sheepishly raises his hand asking to
go to the toilet, like a six year old asking a teacher to be excused from a
lesson. Desperation ensues and he “relieves” himself into a pint glass
conveniently hidden under his kilt. He tells his fellow band-mates it is a new
ale named “Old Speckled Hen”, which is drank to gasps of disbelief and disgust.
Their second act is based on the very English tradition of
Morris dancing, already the subject of many a jibe. The sketch begins with the
trio performing a traditional circle dance to a backing track. This starts as
expected with the gentle sound of violins and the trio dancing around in the circle;
however the audience should expect the unexpected. The pace of the music
increases; the dancing becomes more frantic; all before launching into Stayin’
Alive by the Bee Gees; then returns to the original tune as if nothing
extraordinary has taken place. New Rope String Band successfully brings new
laughs and a totally fresh take on a clichéd joke.
Technology is also used to innovative effect during their
show; they use a video camera and projector as for the next section. After a
few “failed” attempts of trying to get the camera to work (magnification, focus
in/out) is another example of the well planned deliberate mistakes. What
appears on the screen next is astounding. The trio appear in silhouette
standing on a music stave. The music playing is depicted by the musical notes
on the screen. As the music continues the bars of the stave divides, the time
signature changes to an increasingly more complicated tune. They each grab onto
a crochet note and ride it along the stave like a horses galloping to the end
of the music. The end of a quaver is lit, and like a fuse fizzes until it
reaches the black, circular “bomb”. It explodes scattering musical notes, bars
and rests cascading across the screen.
Following this the trio return to a seaside theme with a
rendition of “I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside”, whilst wearing sailor’s
hats. More inventive instrumentation is present when fish bones are transformed
into a wind chime; including a melody which sounds suspiciously like the Nokia
default ringtone. A Scottish jig entitled “Seagull From Scotland” has no
Bagpipes but the trio have another trick up their sleeves. The drainpipes are
used to create a complex melody, spectacularly exploding in colour and
confetti. By now the audience should expect the unexpected; when Peter emerges
from the back of the stage dressed as a mermaid; the audience once again fall
into hysterics.
They leave the stage to cheers and stomping feet of stampede
level. The encore is received with the same appreciation. The trio begin to
imagine life after the group has disbanded. Technology is brought to the
forefront once more; the projector screen shows a line of ZZZZZZs; Tim has
fallen asleep. He dreams of lying on an airbed, a flying airbed. He fly’s past
the Statue Of Liberty, finally landing in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
So with a tremendous of applause, enough to raise the roof
of its rafters, the trio level the stage for almost the final time. Their
farewell tour will conclude at the end of October and only time will tell in
what guise they will return, if any. The trio have produced an incredible and
unforgettable twenty seven years of intelligent and inspiring comedy. They have
explored the intricacies; often bizarre traditions of the folk world, whilst
never fearing to make fun of themselves. Their departure will leave a gaping
hole in the folk arts scene. There are few who are able to entwine the
theatrics, humour and consistency of The New Rope String Band.
9/10
