Bromyard Folk Festival 2009

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Posted by Liz Osman on 16 September 2009

Good weather and a beautiful pink sunset greeted me as I pulled into the field for Bromyard 2009. Last year’s mud a distant memory, replaced by dust, and the promise of a fine weekend of weather and music.

Having wrestled with the tent I was off to see Gareth Davies-Jones, who provided a fairly chilled start to my festival with his vocals and acoustic guitar.

A quick bacon sandwich and we were into watch Faustus produce a typically brilliant set, interspersed with excellent rapport. The relatively new addition of the ’Bed Between Friends’ set added an exciting new element of wah wah melodeon to proceedings, whilst firm favourite ’Acre of Land’ got the audience in vocal mood, and the ’Next Stop Grimsby’ set left no one in any doubt of the skill of the players on stage.

Outside in the festival site the sounds of shanty singing could be heard from the beer tent, whilst the Woodpecker band started ceilidh-proceedings for the dancers. Down in the town the traditional torch-lit procession was also taking place, and kids were hard at work in decorating the chalk board van.

However, come the end of the evening, most of the festival could be found at the main stage. Benji Kirkpatrick was pulling a double shift as part of Seth Lakeman’s band for the close of day one. The organisers had removed rows of chairs to create a pit area at the front for those wanting to bounce and dance - a very welcome move that I applaud. I must confess this was my first time seeing Seth Lakeman, but many had the distinct look of the devout fan, and he did not disappoint them.

Songs like ’Poor Man’s Heaven’ were joined with new material, all with the big sound of the new five-piece line up. ’Kitty Jay’ as ever went down a storm, and whilst it was not the final track he played, it was certainly the one I took with me back to my tent.

Artist quick links

Faustus
Paul Sartin
Saul Rose
Benji Kirkpatrick
Seth Lakeman

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