Folk Radio UK’s bodhran playing geologist Johnny Whalley headed to Ibiza for Costa Del Folk recently (hard life for some I know). Whilst there he kept a festival diary, you can read part one below.
Thursday, April 25
Arrived late last night, the festival doesn’t start until tomorrow afternoon so a chance for a decent walk, maybe the last for a while. Retrace last night’s route from the airport and eventually arrive amongst the bars Ibiza is famous for. Pints of vodka and Redbull don’t appeal, so, take different road back to Port Des Torrent and on to the beach below the hotel. Much more to my liking, beautiful golden sand at the head of an inlet, and, of course, a beach bar. It seems we’re not the first to find it though, Steve Knightley’s having a quiet coffee before the mayhem starts.
Friday, April 26
People arrived on a variety of flights yesterday, some in the wee small hours so, no music this morning, the festival starts at 1400. Time to get acclimatised and assess the weather. Sunny but breezy, shorts ok, but maybe need more than just a T-shirt, and, inviting as that pool looks, I guess it can wait another day.
The concert venue is outside, the stage positioned at the side of the main pool and ringed by the accommodation buildings. Kicking off the festival is something just a bit special, the Efrén López Trio. Based in Valencia, Efrén is a renowned exponent of the traditional music of Spain along with much of the Eastern Mediterranean. He plays hurdy-gurdy and lutes, accompanied, today, by Isabel Martin for vocals and percussion and Christian Mohr Levisen from Denmark on a second hurdy-gurdy. We’re treated to 45 minutes of fascinating music, music from Crete, northern Greece and Bulgaria as well as many regions of Spain, including Efrén’s native Valencia, Isabel’s Castile and the Basque country. The blending of two hurdy-gurdies gives a sound of such depth it’s easy to lose yourself as it washes over you. As well as playing the music, Efrén’s a natural educator and gently explains origins, of the music and of the instruments. If this sounds a little serious for a festival, the ovation they receive shows the Costa del Folk audience (let’s shorten that to CDF) certainly didn’t think so. Later this afternoon, Efrén will be the first artist to occupy the daily “chance to meet” slot.
Before that, we have sets from two longtime CDF favourites, A Fistful of Spookies and Show of Hands. There seems to be an insatiable appetite for the Spookies’ mix of vocal dexterity and humour, with this, their UK-based contingent, keeping the flame burning brightly until the full Spooky Men’s Chorale once more head over from Australia in a couple of month’s time.
Show of Hands have been part of the CDF family since the beginning and it shows as soon as they take the stage. There’s a warmth to the welcome that would put any artist at ease and it’s clear Phil and Steve are in their comfort zone, though, as Steve tells us, it’s the first time they’ve played together since December. Ten songs and tunes, a mix of the familiar, Crow on the Cradle, Cold Frontier and, inevitably, Cousin Jack for an encore, but also fresh material destined for a new album. An hour has flown by, but there’s plenty more to come from Phil and Steve, both together and separately, over the coming days.
On now to the “chance to meet” session in the Nautilus Bar, the hotel’s basement night club, a venue that has multiple uses during the festival. This is one of the times, though, when I need to make a choice as the daily ceilidh is also about to start. That can wait for another day; I want to hear from Efrén. Besides the traditional music of the Mediterranean, he’s extensively involved in the Early Music scene and in composing modern music for his chosen instruments. He’s also widely in demand as a teacher and will be in the UK next February, tutoring at Halsway Manor’s hurdy-gurdy weekend. His Nautilus session also turns into a “chance to meet” the hurdy-gurdy. Efrén takes off the cover to explain the configuration of strings and keys, and demonstrate the way cranking the wheel vibrates the strings.
Next, another choice is needed, do I stay in the Nautilus for the daily open mic or head to the restaurant for dinner? The open mic is m.c.’d every evening by Flossie Malavialle, another CDF regular. Flossie is also, always, to be found at the centre of the bar music sessions that have been such a memorable part of every CDF. One wonders how she ever finds time to sleep.
Dinner beats the open mic and then the evening concert kicks off with Seth Lakeman, back in solo mode after his adventures touring with Robert Plant. He opens with a fiddle piece, switching to tenor guitar for An Educated Man. A lengthy, well-crafted story song from last year’s The Well Worn Path album, telling the tale of an inspirational character from Seth’s upbringing. Throughout the set, Seth switches between guitar and fiddle, equally at home accompanying his voice with either instrument in the stripped-down arrangements of his solo show. It’s no surprise, though, when percussionist Cormac Byrne joins Seth. Cormac is destined for many a guest appearance over the festival and it’s easy to see why, as his astounding bodhrán technique drives Seth’s closing set of tunes to a break-neck conclusion.
The second half of the evening introduces me to The Outside Track (main image). I’ve been really looking forward to hearing this band, whilst wondering how I could possibly have missed out on seeing them for the last decade and more? An omission that I regret more and more as the five of them work through a jaw-droppingly good set. The band is built around the talents of its four female members, Fiona Black on piano accordion, Teresa Horgan, vocals, flute and whistles, Mairi Rankin, fiddle and step dancing, and Ailie Robertson’s harp. Each takes turns to lead on the various songs and tunes while the whole is given a backbone from the guitar rhythms of Pablo Lafuente. Much of the set is made up of tracks from their current album, Rise Up, for which Cormac Byrne supplied bodhrán. So, come the encore, Cormac joins them for The Wahoo, a set of slides and reels that leaves everyone breathless with admiration.
And so to the final timetabled event of each CDF day, the Folk Club, down in the Nautilus Bar again. Tonight, there are two solo performers, first up is Jack Parker, a singer/songwriter beginning to make a name for himself on the festival circuit both in the UK and Europe. With a fine, strong voice, a varied guitar style and entertaining between-song chat he’s ideally suited to the intimate atmosphere of the club. He’s followed by James Sills. James has already appeared today as one of the Spookies, but his solo show is very different. He’s singing songs from the great singer/songwriters of the late 1960s, early 70s. So, there’s plenty of audience participation, singing along to the likes of Crosby Stills and Nash, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and, from this side of the Atlantic, John Martyn.
It’s well after midnight when the Folk Club finishes but, climbing the stairs to the main bar; it’s clear a session’s well underway. It’s very tempting, but, with four more days packed with music still to come, my bed feels like an even more attractive option.
We will have part two of Johnny’s Ibiza Diary soon.
In the meantime, you can find out more about the next Costa Del Folk festival in Portugal in October here.