First of all confession time. In a recent rant I decided to draw a line under Seth Lakeman and try to find some more ‘mainstream’ acts to fill my MP3 player with. Well… I caved and went to Chagstock!
A couple of weeks ago I asked where have all the hippies gone - yet another rant about the loss of individuality amongst the UK’s biggest festivals. Now, having returned from the wilds of Dartmoor, I have once again found solace with the summer tradition of spending a weekend in a field dodging rain showers and being serenaded by incredible act after incredible act.
My festival highlight has to be Seth, The 3 Daft Monkeys and the Bad Shepherds – all incredible acts in their own very unique way- but whilst the latter may have enticed me to buy a ticket, the two CDs I came away with weren’t from any of the aforementioned bands.
Based in Exeter, this 5 piece has played Chagstock since it made the leap from private prty to public festival 3 years ago and it was clear why organiser, Simon Ford, keeps inviting them back. Drawing inspiration from bands as diverse as The Beach Boys and Maximo Park,
It was an energetic set, I don’t think that frontman Barnaby stopped moving once the whole time that they were on stage. It was the perfect antidote for the miserable drizzle which obscured the view of the moors and made it wet enough for the mac to be necessary.
Highlight tracks are Lykee-Li and Jack Does!
A lesson to not judge a band by their sound alone. Much heavier than the majority of the Chagstock acts, their unique sound drew me across the field from the acoustic tent. But getting within sight of the mainstage I have to admit that I was surprised by the band’s age - they were much younger than they sounded! (Which I realise doesn’t sound like a compliment, but it should be taken as one.)
They played an incredibly tight set comprising of all their own work which included a fair few tracks which I found myself singing to myself later in the day. Their latest single ‘Take a left’ is one such track, and I would most definitely reccommend you have a listen on their myspace page.
Ok, so he wasn’t at Chagstock, but it seemed to fit here.  A couple of weeks ago Jillian explained why it’s always important to catch the support acts and having seen Richard perform I have to agree fully. Supporting Cara Dillon when she played the Falmouth Pavillion at the beginning of June, I wasn’t immediately wowed in the same way as the other 2 acts – but then again, I’m not one for a solo guitar singer/songwriter. But the later tracks blew my mind when he was joined on stage by another vocalist and a percussionist. At some points it almost seemed like they had a psychic connection – with his drummer providing rhythmical support just when it was needed. An incredible performance and definitely one to keep an eye on for the future.
But which track to leave you with?
I think it has to be ’Lady of the Sea’ by Friday’s headliner, Seth Lakeman. It was this track which encouraged me to pick up my violin again after the horror of my Grade 8 exam – it showed me that being a violin player doesn’t mean constantly playing Eine Kleine Nachtmuzik! The speed with which he plays the semiquaver at the beginning of the track never ceases to amaze me.
Post by Mary Stokes - Meet Me
Located in the UK, music has been part of my life for a long time. I'm a classically trained violinist but have a wide range musical knowledge.
