published: 7 /
1 /
2023
With photographs from Robert Hadley, Toni Woodward enjoys this year’s Moseley Folk and Arts Festival in Birmingham which includes sets from artists as diverse as The Weather Station, Supergrass, Seaside Steve, Midlake, Jethro Tull and The Coral.
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I am always going to love a small festival that takes place within walking distance from my house, especially when the line-up includes The Weather Station and Kurt Vile on the same afternoon. Moseley Folk and Arts Festival do a phenomenal job at bringing an eclectic mix of musicians to the Birmingham suburb every September and this year is no exception.
The Weather Station released Uncut’s Album of the Year in 2021 with ‘Ignorance’ and Tamara Lindeman utilises her time on stage to play a number of songs from the album including the jazz-infused ‘Robber’ and the beautiful ‘Parking Lot’, interspersed with older songs such as ‘Thirty’. It was a flawless performance of calibre, seeing Lindeman move between instruments including guitar and piano whilst delivering her ethereal vocals.
Kurt Vile takes to the main stage in his usual aloof manner and delivers a laidback set covering his back catalogue/ ‘Watch My Moves’, his latest album, provides a substantial chunk of the performance but he plays for the festival crowd including classics such as ‘Pretty Pimpin’ and Vile has certainly drawn the audience in closer. Kurt Vile has an amazing ability to produce a lazy yet catchy sound.
Indie darlings, Supergrass, are the headliners and clearly the biggest pull to the festival and they know how to put on a performance. Blasting out all the classic hits such as ‘Pumping On Your Stereo’ and ‘Moving’, the band had a heaviness that added to the performance especially with ‘Richard III’ that boomed around the park.
Saturday has a pure folk element to the day with in-demand Scottish folk band, Talisk, being one of the top bands to see of the day. Talisk are a trio whose performance explode and have the ever-increasing audience, dancing with their unique take on traditional folk and lightning speed fiddle playing. They were in direct contrast to the ethereal beauty of Billie Marten whose vocals are maybe quiet and delicate but they have an inner power. At times, the fragility reminds me of Stina Nordenstam with her picturesque lyrics as she provides a fabulous showcase of her back catalogue.
The Longest Johns take Talisk and raise their sound with a brash array of sea shanties. Their popularity has increased significantly courtesy of TikTok but they build upon Talisk’s enthusiasm. The audience love The Longest Johns’ energy and beautifully crafted harmonies that permeate the park, even with a still lake as a backdrop rather than a raging sea.
Over on the Kitchen Garden Stage (Folk on the Slope) the indie folk duo Gilmore and Roberts deliver a fabulous set. After the volume of the main stages, the serenity of the smaller stage is welcome and sees many people seating on the ground fully engrossed in the duo’s twist on folk, seeing Jamie Roberts use his guitar as a drum at times whilst Katriona Gilmore deftly swaps between the mandolin and fiddle. I can imagine this duo will be playing the mainstage in future folk festivals to come.
The Saturday headliner there is the American musician, Seasick Steve, who brings his southern drawl to a welcoming audience. Part way through the set, Steve is joined onstage by a drummer who adds real weight to the performance and powers through some gritty blues showing he has class as a songwriter.
Sunday sees American folk band Midlake take to the main stage, utilising their instrumentation and harmonies to create an ambient and rambling sound. They have recently released a new album, ‘For The Sake Of Bethel Woods’, which they are dipping into mixed in with older tracks such as ‘The Old and The Young’. Eric Pulido notes that he will have to cut down his banter so they can fit in more tracks but still manages little anecdotes and shouts out to his friends to make it feel like a Midlake headliner set rather than a compact festival performance.
Progressive rock legends, Jethro Tull, play a set that covers their expansive musical career and they have been name dropped by many of the performers that have gone before that day, evidencing their musical impact. Ian Anderson clearly still relishes performing and his ability as a flautist is unquestionable, plus he has managed to keep the storms at bay.
Before The Coral draw the festival to a close, there is a tribute to Janice Long. Janice was a longstanding supporter of the festival and they have created a bursary in her honour as well as the second stage taking her name. Danielle Perry has done a marvellous job stepping into Long’s very big shoes as the presenter, and she delivers a genuine, heartfelt tribute to the DJ followed by Ian Prowse. Ian was Janice’s friend and after a couple of anecdotes, plays two or three songs on the acoustic guitar whilst images of Long are displayed behind him. Certainly, Janice’s legacy will always live on at the Moseley Folk Festival.
The Coral burst onto the stage and give it their all, powering through an array of classics including In ‘The Morning’ and ‘Dreaming Of You’. The audience are loving this as a finale and brings a great festival to a fitting end.
Band Links:-
https://www.moseleyfolk.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/moseleyfolkfe
https://twitter.com/moseleyfolk
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