Throughout the 1990s, the Cambridge Folk Festival weekend became an excuse for me and a buddy to drink too much, talk nonsense and listen to some great music for 3 or 4 days and nights every year. I've attended the odd festival since then, but it's been a very long time since since I've tried kipping outdoors on the cold ground. This year, that same buddy came to my emotional rescue and offered me his spare ticket for Folk East. So it was that in the middle of August I spent a weekend under canvas, camping at a Folk Festival for the first time in a decade and a half. My buddy and I drank too much, talked nonsense and listened to some great music for 4 days and nights. It was just like old times and, not to put too fine a point on it, just what the doctor ordered. The highlight of the weekend was a set by the always magnificent Alden, Patterson and Dashwood. With an effortless fusing of traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic, harmonies to die for and a selection of superb self-penned songs, it's an absolute bewilderment to me that they're not internationally celebrated. If they turn up in your neck of the woods you'd be a fool to miss out. Check out their two cracking albums here.
5 comments:
Beautiful.
I don't know how you do it, Swede. The closest to roughing it I'm willing to go is a 3-star hotel. Then again, this music just lot may be worth sleeping on the cold ground. As John says, beautiful.
Well done on the camping although as everyone else has said, sounds as if they made it worthwhile. We have some great festivals near us but just not up for the whole camping with 1000s of other people aspect. One of these days....
Thank you, Swede. AP&D's name was familiar to me but unheard until now. Looking forward to exploring further.
Tinpot
Really good. A new name to follow up. Cheers, mate.
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