The first Walton Folk Festival (reviewed here) was a fabulous day; I described it as, ‘…one of the best experiences of live music I’ve ever had.’ With a lineup that included Jack Cookson, Kitty Macfarlane, The Outside Track, Kim Lowings and the Greenwood and headliners The Urban Folk Quartet, it was going to be hard to beat.
But somehow the festival team managed to rustle up an equally enthralling lineup, topped off with the folk-rock powerhouse that is False Lights. Last year the sun god smiled down on the day but was a little too blazing at times. Whereas this year hail storms, rain showers and a mighty wind couldn’t dampen the day, and thankfully the main acts were inside anyway.
The festival sold out on the strength of the lineup and tremendous goodwill from returning festival goers. They were rewarded first with a lively and moving set from the north-east duo, Megson; showcasing songs mostly from their latest album, Contradicshun. In his Folk Radio review, Thomas Blake described the album as, ‘…a masterpiece of shared creativity, the fullest flowering of a partnership that has been nurtured for fifteen years.’ And Stu and Debbie certainly showcased their star quality in Walton. But the highlight was a performance of The Longshot from the 2010 album of the same name. It managed to be hilarious, heartbreaking and uplifting (sometimes all at once). It was the start of something special.
Next up in the Barn was Riverhouse favourite Lukas Drinkwater, making a rare solo performance. If you haven’t heard of Lukas then you haven’t been studying your album sleeves very carefully. As well as credits on dozens of contemporary folk albums, he is half of Jacob and Drinkwater and is currently touring with Saskia Griffiths-Moore, Emily Barker (with and without Marry Waterson) and The People’s String Foundation. Quietly commanding the stage, Lukas delighted the crowd with his own songs and a selection of well-chosen covers that reflected his musical journey. His guitar work is impossibly brilliant (particularly as he’s usually hunched over a double bass). A lady sat next to me said, ‘Who is this guy? He’s amazing!’ And nothing was more amazing than Lukas performing the John Martyn classic, May You Never – which Lukas described as a huge influence on everything he does. Class meets class.
Next up in the barn is a young performer whose voice, songs and guitar work really impressed the festival organisers. Rising star Hannah Ashcroft was also selected this year by Beth Orton to create new music premiered on the opening night of Sounds Like THIS Festival in Leeds. Accompanied by The Travelling Band’s bass player Sam Quinn on guitar, Hannah performed a selection of beguiling and mysterious songs from her 2016 EP, The Quiet Kind. She also tantalised with a few new songs which – fingers crossed – will appear on a new release very soon. Although a new voice to many of the audience, Hannah clearly impressed as the queue at the merchandise stand after testified. It’s great that the festival organisers felt bold enough to showcase emerging talent alongside the established acts.
More evidence of this is found in the selection of performers that delighted the audience between acts on the outside Courtyard stage. Battling the elements, the acts performing in-between the Barn stage were mostly made up of local talent. First up was Darragh Chaplin who looked far too young to give such an assured performance – one to watch. Singer-songwriter and guitarist Charlie Wren couldn’t be more local, from just a few streets away in Walton-on-Thames. Her songs injected a welcome bit of grit to proceedings. Dragonfly Sky are no strangers to the Riverhouse, having launched their EP at the venue last year, and the melodic duo are attracting a loyal local following. A more seasoned performer, Jim Cozens commanded the stage early afternoon with his powerful songs.
Last year I was particularly impressed by Claudia Stark and Zach Johnson, who each performed solo on the Courtyard stage. And I wondered if this year they might top them. It turns out you can, as Zach and Claudia performed magnificently this year as a duo. Both local Surrey singer-songwriters, they are hard-working, talented and engaging performers. I hope their EP together pushes them up to the next level.
But back to the Barn stage, where following Hannah Ashcroft was a band for whom superlatives are flying, and they seem to be on every festival bill that can contain them this year. The music press has lauded trials of Cato for both their live performances and their brilliant debut album, Hide and Hair. In fact, in his Folk Radio review, some bloke called Peter Shaw wrote, ‘If there’s a more exciting debut album from a folk band this year, then I haven’t heard it.’ Well, it turns out he was right. Trials of Cato launched into a thrilling version of Tom Paine’s Bones, and they were amazing throughout the set. You could hear the audience appreciation rising with every performance. They stomped so much that the stage began to rattle, microphones flew off their stands and stagehands desperately tried to put it back together between songs. They are phenomenal, and friendly chaps too. Catch them as soon as you can, if not sooner.
As the daylight faded, it was time for the evening entertainment. The aforementioned Claudia and Zach closed the Courtyard and the crowd gathered for the final push. First up was the mesmerising and ever-so-slightly-bonkers Daria Kulesh. Now based in London, Daria has Russian and Ingush roots which are reflected in her songs and stories. It was a more laid-back performance that perfectly suited the evening atmosphere. Despite playing to a packed crowd, Daria maintained a sense of intimacy and showcased her breathtaking vocals. A true star.
So, as the evening drew to a close, we were in line for one more treat. I’m not sure the organisers knew what they were in for when they invited False Lights to close the festival. But what a performance. Jim Moray and Sam Carter’s folk-rock powerhouse played the majority of their two stunning albums, Harmonograph and Salvor. The set electrifying set was broken up by some solo showcases from Jim and Sam. Then Tom Moore on violin and Archie Churchill-Moss on melodeon – two-thirds of Moore Moss Rutter – delighted with a set of acoustic tunes. Then drummer Sam Nadel showed he’s no slouch either when the band assembled for their final assault including a show-stopping rendition of Crossing the Bar. The energy and enthusiasm of the band got the crowd up and dancing for the last few numbers. A world-class performance to close a brilliant day.
So, that brought an end to the second Walton Folk Festival, a day of great music with an intimate atmosphere in a fantastic community venue. The bar has been crossed and set high for next year, but until then there is plenty more fab folk to enjoy at the Riverhouse.
Upcoming Dates
Edgelarks – Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin on 31 May 2019 at 20:00
Saskia Griffiths-Moore (including Lukas Drinkwater and Jack Cookson) on 8 September 2019 at 12:15
Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar on 27 October 2019 at 12:15
Gigspanner on 13 November 2019 at 20:00
Lady Maisery on 29 November 2019 at 20:00
Book tickets here:
https://thelittleboxoffice.com/riverhouse/calendar?category=75