The dust and colour engulf you as you wander through Woodfordia. It's a cacophony of the absurd, the homely and the natural, and I haven't even started on the music. My day truly started with the worst part of any camping festival, the setting up of the tent. With this out of the way, it was time to delve into the festival for real.
The blues rock of the Woodford veterans Backsliders (filling in for the unfortunately ill Harry Manx) kicked the Grande stage off. A mix of both conventional and unconventional blues, it was a potent performance by the trio and a real master class on soulful harmonica. From there, it was off to the Pineapple Lounge and the chilled-out reggae of CC the Cat. Calm brass and subdued vocals lend a sad tinge to the bubbly energy of the band. After a brief wander through the grounds, next was the effortlessly graceful voice of Thelma Plum, the 2012 JJJ Unearthed winner stunning the audience with her simple but evocative songs. It was Laique that proved the highlight of the day for me; the band was a sing sensation, with everything from swampy voodoo New Orleans tunes to a swaying dance number straight from South America. Banjo, violin and guitar solo off one another between choruses. The flamenco guitar's attacking solos proved the fiery best of the band, even against a rhthym section determined to outdo the rest of the band and the sweet female lyrics.
As evening fell, the crowd gathered in dribs and drabs on the masssive grass banks of the Amphitheatre for the Welcome Ceremony. A celebration of the local Jinibara people and an introduction of the this year's festival theme of 'the monsters within our hearts', it was a captivating 40 minutes. Monsters changed from shadows to reality before the audience's eyes before the crowd is called to engulf and dance with the monsters.
To round the night off, there was time to squeeze in two more bands. The unadulerated funk of the Golden Sounds whipped the dancefloor into a frenzy with lashes of guitars, hopping beat, twinkling keyboard and distorted vocals. From there, it was onto the spacious electro-pop of Nova Heart from China. There was a rare space in the songs with only a singer, drummer and guitarist bouncing off one another in a whirl of electronica and beats. And with that, it was time to drag my exhausted body off to bed with a smile still lingering.
Check out the video from Woodford Day One (supplied by the festival) below!
Woodford 2013 DAY 1 from Woodford Folk Festival on Vimeo.
