What better way to start the day than with bagpipes over toast and some of Scotland's finest?
Rachael Sermanni and her pianist begin the Scottish music showcase, weaving stories and dreams with her sweet, husky voice. The next sweating Scottish band to grace the stage is Breabach, a quintent focused on traditional Scottish and highland tunes. Acoustic guitar and double bass thump out the rhythm while bagpipes, whistle and violin wheel above them in a battle for the melody. The duels between the wind and violins are the sizzling best of te band, who end with a rattle of miked-up highland dancing.
The Peatbog Fairies round the showcase off with their blend of dancefloor beats and flights of Scottish woodwind melodies. It's a special band that can manage to get a moshpit bouncing at mid-day in forty degree heat. From the green Highlands of Scotland, it was then time to immerse myself in the bustling streets of India with Vidwan's groovy, anthemic mix of Indian folk and rock. Led by a hailstorm of hand-drumming and tramp of drumkit, the band's calm instrumental mix is overwhelmed by joyous vocal choruses. There's also occasional glimpses of jazzy breakdowns from keyboard and drummer, the band's wholehearted set ending with a rocking party number.
Artin features on stage three musicians and a cute kid that seemed incredibly bored out of his mind. Nevertheless, their traditional Kurdish and Persian songs lulled listeners with lilting, sinuous tunes with dual vocalists, violin and acoustic guitar. Then onto Sydney-siders The Crooked Fiddle Band. It's hoedown meets breakdown in this 21st century folk. Storming, mercurial violin crashes and roars over growling bass and threatening drums, while wrestling with blistering guitar. No genres are safe, as the band mix free-flowing Gaelic with squelchy dub. The band ends their set of twisted, dark folk instrumentals with a 15 minute epic, leaving the crowd exhausted but utterly satisfied.
The weather had been sweltering all day, managing to touch 40 degrees and ensuring that even greater numbers of Woodfordians would be baked than normal. This came to a head in the evening, as storms built and built. Those sitting on the grass banks of the Amphitheatre listening to Clare Bowditch's warm, uplifting pop were treated to a stunning lightning show with electricity arcing across the sky. The band did have to contend with their power being cut several times but strove on, much to the delight of the adoring crowd.
--
Check out Woodford's recap of Day Three below!
Woodford Folk Festival - Day 3 from Woodford Folk Festival on Vimeo.
