FEATURE: The Guardian hay FesTival

The Guardian hay FesTival some ace gigs, with quite a nice literature festival attached

ou may have yet to line-up alone, and the chances claim to the title of congenial, threatened to sag. notice it, but every are that you’ll find more than elder balladeer. He purred – and There were a few wrenches, year in late May and enough to hold your attention. occasionally growled – through too, watching early June, barely a If not, a quick shuttle bus hop a sweep of earnest, moving the following evening on the mile from the exquisitely lovely will drop you at the door of the songs in a rich Irish brogue, Guardian Stage. Not that they YWelsh village of Hay-on-Wye, alternative ‘HowTheLightGetsIn’ while the hugely talented Declan were always intended. Despite a quiet revolution in British festival of philosophy and music, Sinnott’s subtle, melodic leads two years of motherhood and festivals has been taking place. which offers a free acoustic tent and harmonies wove across turning 40 this year, Orton It’s the third wave, if you will, throughout the afternoon, and his percussive strumming. seemed more than ever the and it’s aimed squarely, not so an evening line-up that this year Although no mean songwriter uneasy juvenile onstage. Any much at a particular type of included Martha Tilston, Johnny himself, Moore also did a fine fans waiting patiently for her to arts devotee, but at thinking Flynn and King Creosote. job of emotional scruff-hauling mature into a model of breezy people who – especially now There was, perhaps, some with several covers. Natalie professionalism might have to that television has lost the small irony in Christy Moore Merchant’s ‘Motherland’, Joni wait a little while yet. In the plot – prefer to look elsewhere taking the stage on Friday Mitchell’s ‘Magdalene Laundries’, meantime, it might be wiser to be informed, educated and evening in the Barclays Wealth even Pink Floyd’s ‘Shine On to regard her idiosyncratic entertained. Think ‘Guardian Pavilion, the festival’s main You Crazy Diamond’ got the delivery as part of her appeal. Literature Festival’ and you venue. This is a man, after all, Moore treatment. But it was the The promising opening to a new might not instinctively conjure who has been known to embrace little-known Kevin Littlewood’s song, ‘Candle’, was ruptured by expectations of entertainment, a long list of left-wing causes ‘On Morecambe Bay’, a lament an announcement from Orton much less of fine acoustic music. in his time. But Moore, now concerning the ill-fated Chinese that she was sorry, really sorry, But the brief ‘The Hay’ has is in his mid 60s, is no longer the cockle pickers, that gave an but she had to cough – which she now so imaginative that you can angry young man of Irish folk, especially raw wrench to a solid duly did, before picking up where happily attend for the musical though he might comfortably lay 90-minute set that never once she’d left off to reveal a jazzy turn

88 FEATURE: The Guardian hay FesTival

The Guardian hay FesTival that hinted at possibilities of an an eerily poignant (and painfully commentary remains the natural quietly spellbinding. Whether intriguing new musical direction. apposite) rendition of ‘It’s Not and deserved territory of music she’s drawing on her growing Another new song, gentler The Spotlight’. at the acoustic end. catalogue of muscular self- in tone (‘lots of little lullabies It was difficult to avoid It’s a slice of turf that hasn’t penned songs, or leaning on coming out at the moment’), comparisons, a couple of nights escaped the formidable talents classics such as Neil Young’s was soothing the audience along later, with the relaxed but spirited of Mercury nominee Laura ‘Needle And The Damage nicely, before they were jolted performance of Thea Gilmore, Marling, though this might Done’ or Jackson C Frank’s up with a sudden: ‘You know I making her second appearance not be immediately obvious. ‘Blues Run The Game’, she is an can’t do it…it’s too f***ing high… at the Hay Festival. Although Her lyrics, if not opaque, are assured and engaging young my voice is so f***ed… I know she’s never achieved anything frequently oblique, and her performer. Her guitar playing is you all think I’m dreadful.’ They like the profile or record sales unaffected and often wry fill- heartfelt and capable, and her didn’t, of course. Orton’s fans are of Beth Orton, Gilmore (and ins between numbers have a smouldering contralto voice is an adoring, loyal bunch. They the enthralling Martha Tilston tendency to construct a privacy truly impressive, capable even think she’s wonderful, because who played in Hay village the around her songs that is no of straying into Baez territory at her best she is, and hey, we all following evening) should be doubt wholly unintended. The on occasion. And it’s not just in get our off days. So she started packing substantially larger temptation, especially in view her music that Marling is willing again, carried it home, and the venues than she does. ‘Old of Marling’s scant 20 years, is to go boldly. ‘If you wanted an audience erupted with applause, Soul’, now four years on from to assume her songs to be more encore, this is our last song,’ the proud parents at the school its release as a single, remains confession than commentary, she announces flatly, before concert who knew all along that visceral and haunting as ever, which would be to misread her continuing, ‘and if you didn’t… their Beth could do it. For the and while the rockabilly jaunt, as a less creative and inquisitive this is our second-to-last song.’ remainder of the set, she stayed ‘Oh Come On!’, was less engaging songwriter than she is. Not And so it was, and all the more on more familiar ground with as a singalong, a gutsy new that that need detract from fitting for being part of a quiet numbers from Central Reservation song written for election night, the experience of seeing her revolution in British festivals. and Comfort Of Strangers, before ‘My Voice’, brought a welcome live, because taken any which It’s something that could catch on. rounding the evening off with reminder that socio-political way, Marling in performance is Noel Harvey

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