Although I’ve been a fan of The Owl Service for more than 15 years – since their brilliant second album, The View From A Hill – seeing them live is rarer than catching a glimpse of the Blakiston’s fish owl. So I was delighted to see them on the bill for this year’s Leigh Folk Festival.
The 100-seater venue, The Fisherman’s Chapel, is a short walk away, up a steep slope from the main festival site. But the trek in the blazing hot sun was worth it. Particularly, to guarantee a seat, I arrived early enough to hear a delightful set from Fran Foote & Belinda Kempster. The chapel, built in 1932, is a lovely old building but not set up for the blistering 30-degree heat. Despite the distance and temperature, the venue was packed for these local folk legends, introduced as “…a Leigh Folk Festival institution”.
The lineup for this outsider-folk collective is fairly fluid, with Steven Collins (electric guitar, keyboard/electronic effects, bass guitar and percussion) the mainstay and driving force. He was joined by long-serving band members Kate Waterfield (vocals/viola), Daniel Forbes (guitar/vocal) and Bryan Styles (drums, percussion, clarinet). I was excited that Diana Collier was featured in this lineup, as her vocals give the band a distinct sound and vibe.
They opened with a traditional Irish song, Standing on the Shore, which set the mood for their fuzzed-up, freak-folk take on traditional music – Steven added electronic drones and textures to the instrumental backing, which built to a haunting climax.
Although The Owl Service has only officially recorded four full albums, there is a wealth of material to draw on from EPs, compilations and collaborations. The second song, Spring Strathspey, is somewhat of a rarity. It was recorded for a Leigh Folk Festival CD compilation in 2010 (although their entire rich and varied back catalogue is available from their Bandcamp page). The dreamy take on a summer solstice song by American musician and poet Gwydion Pendderwen was appropriate for the date and temperature. Diana and Kate’s vocals could have easily beckoned the summer in if it hadn’t already arrived with a vengeance.
Next up, another skewed version of a traditional song, The Gardener Child, from their first album, 2007’s A Garland of Song. A mesmerising performance with soaring viola, but my gaze often wandered far left to wonder at Bryan Styles’ precision percussion, which richly enhanced the arrangements. And he clearly delights in performing.
Bryan and Stephen stayed on stage to welcome a very special guest vocalist and regular collaborator, Alison O’Donnell, best known for her work with pioneering progressive folk rock band Mellow Candle. The trio performed the creepy traditional song, The Lover’s Ghost from 2010’s View From A Hill. It was a heartstopping interlude, darker and deeper than even the studio recording, enhanced by percussion from both Stephen and Bryan (who also added some suitably discordant clarinet).
Alison stayed on as the rest of the ensemble rejoined for The North Country Maid, this time with Kate taking the lead. It’s a song that Stephen first heard performed by The Watersons on a BBC Play For Today, Land of Green Ginger (which is sadly not available to stream or buy, so if you have a copy, Stephen would love to hear from you…). The group held their own, performing a staple from the first family of folk, even ending with acapella six-part harmonies.
With Alison’s guest spot over, the band played a song from last year’s English Country Music project and CD. It’s a contemporary exploration of traditional Essex folk songs, with lyrics taken from the book Bushes & Briars: An Anthology of Essex Folk Songs (1979). Daniel Forbes led this one with fuzzed-up acoustic guitar and lead vocals. More upbeat and poppy than you’d expect from The Owl Service, it could have been an outtake from a classic 1970s Albion Country Band lineup.
The set ended with the well-known traditional song, Willy O’ Winsbury, which built to a glorious, rousing climax. The applause from the packed crowd, clearly clamouring for more, did not result in an encore, sadly (the festival host sticking to the timings). Still, we enjoyed 45 minutes of experimental and beguiling music from a band that deserves far more recognition than they often get. Catch them if you can, whenever you can. And until then, swoop into their multifarious recordings and projects from psychedelic folk horror to TV telefantasy themes, all lovingly curated by the multi-talented Steven Collins.
Be sure to visit their Bandcamp Page here: https://theowlservice.bandcamp.com/