Kicking things off were Abigail Washburn and Kai Welch,
natives of southern US musical hub Nashville, Tennessee. Abigail’s beautiful
vocals combined with her banjo playing and Kai’s multi-instrumental backing
provided a soothing start to the day. But it was by no means a down-the-line
set, with Abigail in particular an entertaining figure. She impressed with
several songs sung in Chinese, a bit of dancing, some fascinating back stories and many humorous
comments.
Next up on the Main Stage, and bringing a rather more
eccentric feel to the day were Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny.
With painted faces and bright costumes, they brought the same spirit that has
seen debut album Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose receive heavy radio play and an
appearance on Jools Holland earlier in 2012. Their inter-band banter and energy
was perfect for their afternoon slot, with Beth’s opening gambit including
asking the audience if they had had a bowel movement yet that day.
But Beth isn’t just kooky, she has an brilliantly unique
voice and is backed by an energetic and talented band. Her entertaining set was
fun-filled and ended with her getting audience members on stage to dance with
her and the band. This song is a particular favourite.
Switching to the Lunar Stage, Laura J Martin continued the
alternative mood with an intriguing set that combined Kate Bush-esque vocals, Native American noises, loops, mandolin, and jazz flute that Ron Burgundy would
be proud of. With her debut album, entitled The Hangman Tree, released earlier this year, she is a talent to
watch out for.
The slightly bizarre had become the norm by now and was continued by
The Destroyers, a 15-piece rag tag bunch from just down the road. An anarchic
set of gypsy punk saw instruments thrown and juggled as much as they were played. Their frenzied
early-evening performance brought renewed vigour to the day and the party was
in full flow throughout their riotous hour on stage.
In comparison, the once-similarly eclectic Guillemots
followed with a rather subdued but no less enjoyable gig. With the backdrop of
a setting sun, an emergency bass player filling in and Fyfe Dangerfield rooted
to a grand piano, they played a chilled show featuring some stripped-back
versions of songs from their back catalogue.
Dangerfield, a Moseley native, still possesses a captivating
voice, even if it was somewhat strange to see him so tranquil, but a set featuring
a number of old favourites was a perfect precursor to the main event.
The whole day had been building to Echo & The Bunnymen,
a band I’d been aware of for ages but only come to really like recently. I was excited to see them live for the first time, which
set me apart from most of the crowd, largely made up of long-time devotees.
Compere Janice Long excitedly took to the stage to announce their arrival, revealing
that singer Ian McCulloch used to be her neighbour, and even babysat for her son once upon a time. Her genuine and long-standing excitement for the band
was reflected in the crowd when she asked how many of them had seen Echo
at a famous Birmingham Odeon gig in 1984, which many had done.
Their blistering set lasted an hour and a half, relentlessly
featuring hit after hit with minimal fuss in between. Highlights included
traditional opener Rescue, Do It Clean, Seven Seas, Bring On The Dancing Horses, The Cutter and The Killing Moon. Over 30 years after their debut album was released, the band still sounded amazing, demonstrating a longevity few of their contempories have managed.
A perfect set to
end a great day of eclectic live music. I will no doubt be there again next
year. Thank you Moseley!
Just about sums the day up. It was my 1st visit to MFF and thoroughly enjoyed the day
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