UK West Coast Folk Festival
Blackpool

Having arrived at the magnificent Blackpool Winter Gardens to the sight of queues stretching around the block, it came as both a disappointment and a sign of the times to find that the throng had assembled, not for the UK North West Folk Festival, but for Britain’s Got Talent. My hackles were further raised as my progress through the venue was halted as the BGT judges and entourage were VIP’ed through to their secure enclave, well away from the likes of you and me! Thankfully, it was to be my only irritation of the weekend, as the music, spirit and company of the event provided a warm antidote to the deep freeze outside!

Organised by Solid Entertainments, a big name on the Blues and Rock events scene and now investigating the possibilities that Folk has to offer, this was the second running of the festival, intended as the Northern alternative to the much missed Great British Folk Festival, offering 3 stages and 37 acts of varying sizes and repute, all of whom seemed to leave with the latter confirmed or enhanced. The presence of the We Got Cowell crew meant that the event was moved to smaller venues within the complex than last year, but attendees of both agreed that it improved the warmth, comfort, atmosphere and acoustics!

That we were in for an eclectic weekend was signalled by the first two acts, launching the event on the acoustic stage – both solo singer songwriters and both to be enjoyed in their own way. Steve Ferbrache offered narrative songs, intimate and confessional that addressed his battles and thankfully triumphs over his demons, his Americana leanings augmented by some tasty finger-picking guitar. In between, he offered us his emotional version of ‘Kilkelly, Ireland’, possibly the saddest song you will ever hear, (though Marianne Faithfull’s cover of ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan’ does run it close). All of which led us to Ivor Game. Gently unassuming in both presence and delivery, deliberately short songs with a knowing touch of self-deprecating, reflectively observational humour, a sprinkle of vaudeville, a nod to the Bonzos, and an occasional flutter of falsetto

A direct transfer from the glory days of Butlins, SkegVegas, The Introducing Stage offers artists an opportunity to play to a festival audience, along with the chance to return the following year to a spot on the main stage, with audiences making that choice. First up, Hazjak set the bar high, with an audience pleasing, roots genre spanning set that took us through torchy blues to country rock, along with Steve and Lynne’s typically good natured and infectious stage presence, taking us on a journey via the roundabouts of Nashville and a drunken night with Lemmy.

As contrast was to become a theme of the weekend, thetransition from one duo to another could hardly be greater, other than there being no change in the quality! The pairing of percussionist Gregor Black and harpist Eleanor Dunsden were as entrancing as Hazjak were involving. Drawing on their debut release, their sheer musicality shone as brightly as their smiles, taking us through tunes from Flook and Thea Fildes ‘Drams In The Field’, to their take on the traditional ‘Let No Man Steal Your Thyme’, for where would a folk festival be without a cautionary tale for young maids, especially one delivered with such vocal grace, as Eleanor took a sideways step from her instrumental duties. A duo of jigs, one self-written and the other of Irish extraction took us towards the end of the set and the discovery that, not that they aren’t both a lovely to behold, part of their beauty is in the soundscapes that their music conjures and as a result, part of their delight is in watching them with your yes closed! My appreciation of them was shared by much of the audience, as they will be returning next year by popular acclaim.

As afternoon became evening, the Introducing and Main stages overlapped – not just in time, but with the return of Lizzie Hardingham, an audience favourite from 2024. What a difference a year has made, as she took to the larger stage with a degree of confidence and presence that allowed both her power and purity to shine through. Having been compared to some of the great voices of the folk world and beyond, and seen as one of the rising young stars of the folk scene, her performance underlined her promise, with the presence of Kat Gilmore an unexpected but welcome bonus.

Elsewhere, it appeared that Gregor and Eleanor had been the calm before the storm, as the powerful and energetic Liam Vincent and the Odd Foxes increased the volume, with a lead presence throwing shapes around the stage that had Folk and Roll writ large upon it. trading licks with fiddle player and fellow vocalist Rebecca Mileham. Their wake-up call is all underpinned by a powerhouse of drums, rock solid bass and muscular rhythm guitar. But this is not cacophonous bluster, amidst the energy and the volume, there is room for emotional depth, with subject matter that is both contemporary and personal. Backed up by 3-part harmonies, an extended mix of ‘Running For Your Life’ was a highlight, along with a finale in which band members swapped instruments for a more laid back and thought provoking 4000 Weeks.

With the first of two performances, the second being on the acoustic stage the following morning, Gabriel Moreno proved to be one of the discoveries of the weekend – based not just on the reaction of the crowd to his performances but also in the queues to meet and greet after his sets. Hailing from Gibraltar, and presented as their cultural ambassador, his beguiling accent and engaging stage presence can best be described as ‘charm personified’. Backed up his poetic and eclectic songs, that are as lyrical as they are musical, he is reminiscent but not derivative of Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave, along with a little something of the night. Aided by his two sidekicks, he brings just enough humour to proceedings, that any danger he may display, is tempered by flashes of brightness. Well worth investigating as he tours in April!

How on Earth do you condense a career like that of Ashley Hutchings into a mere 60-minute slot? It appears by satisfying the crowd, with a nod to his role in the birth of Folk-Rock, for which we will now (and forever) be thankful, by way of Crazy Man Michael and then by reminding us of his inventiveness with a medley of both narration and song from his album By Gloucester Docks I Sat Down and Wept: A Love Story. Flanked by Becky Mills and son Blair Dunlop, both were also given their own chance to shine, Becky revealing her crush on motor cycling icon Barry Sheene, while Blair showed that the songwriting apple has not fallen far from the family tree, with a fine rendition of his recent single ‘Let’s Get Out Of The City’

And so, via churches, bridges, Florence and Spices From The East, with the help of family and friends, The Guv’nor also demonstrated that, when necessary, he is still the master.

Which all left room for The Bar Steward Sons Of Val Doonican to round off the evening. A bold choice, given that their main man Scott admits to them being a little Marmite, but given that this was his 1339th outing in a multi coloured tank top (not that he is counting), it would appear that their popularity has spread, with many of the opinion that they are indeed the best thing on sliced bread!

The Bar Steward Sons Of Val Doonican

Appearing as a duo on this occasion, with the initially mysterious Jeremiah Rickenbacker J.R. Doonican III, their version of a Motorhead ‘tune’ was an audacious opening move, but the reaction suggested that they aced it, with applause being delivered in spades. And so it went on, with part of the fun being identifying the source material and then delighting in the lyrical twists, occasionally tortuous and frequently inspired. The between song sections were every bit as enjoyable as the songs, with Jamie JR Doonican much less of a supporting character than a fully fledged partner to Scott, his game show scripture readings being a particular pleasure. There are however, both wisdom and truth hidden amongst the hilarity, Scott’s observational take on the misery of some festival goers rang with the truth of experience.

Despite the late finish to the evening, the room was still as packed as at the start, all that had been missing was a crowd surfing Doonican in a dinghy and enlightenment as to the true identity of Jeremiah JR Roberts, who proved to be as adept with a fiddle as with a bible.

An early Saturday performance on the Acoustic Stage served merely to underline the newly found and much deserved popularity of Gabriel Moreno.

If the Gibraltarian cultural ambassador had been a revelation, then Cobalt Tales were even more of a surprise, springing unexpectedly onto the stage as late and unbilled replacements. As one might expect from a female duo sporting a bass guitar (Nula) and acoustic guitar (Pat), they started with an a Capella piece about the treatment of the Pendle Witches. The thundering applause heralded a performance that won them many new friends and a few après set bookings. Whilst they continued their intro with a song entitled The Devil’s Daughter, they rapidly lifted the real spirits in the room with a combination of their good-natured rapport and a fine set of self-penned songs. The contrast between the two (they likened themselves to Janis Joplin and Aled Jones) is exploited to the full, their purrfectly judged scat singing in Scaredy Cat left the room feline groovy. With projects and more in the pipeline, expect to see more of them around the clubs in the not-too-distant future.

First up on the Main Stage, Rob Clamp, like Lizzie Hardingham, was a returnee from 2024 by popular demand. Like Lizzie, the intervening 12 months and the larger stage have seen him grow in confidence and both he and the occupants of the room both seemed to be enjoying the occasion. His polished and powerful vocal delivery is matched by energetic and percussive guitar, backed by a stomp pedal, and remains the case even when there is a poignancy to his songs. Like Lizzie before him, another young player who seems ready to break into the senior squad. An infrequent visitor this far North despite a growing audience in the warmer parts of the country and increasingly through Europe, do try to catch him on his impending ‘Running Out Of Steam’ tour!

Like Gabriel before her, Demi Marriner demonstrated 2 sides to her not inconsiderable musical talents, reprising the versatility of her recording output with a band backed performance on the main stage, in which rock, blues and country all got a decent look in, followed by an outfit change and a more intimate solo set on the acoustic stage in which she sparkled as much as her very sparkly shoes. There is real emotion behind the songs, as she tells of forgiveness and why it may not be deserved, turning up both the volume and the power as she does.

While many of the performers made light of inhabiting the building alongside Britain’s Got Talent, The Dunwells were a little more wry in their commentary, given that they are sharing their songwriting prowess with Simon Cowell. Operating as a duo, rather than the four piece, they amply demonstrated why the strength of their Indie/Americana attracted the Syco man to help his proteges.

Meanwhile, on the Introducing Stage, Nick Lawrence appeared to be a man with many songs, and in a hurry to share them, and with good reason, self admittedly Dylan influenced, he could demonstrate the urgency of some of his early work in particular, as though he had arrived via Highway 61 rather than the M5. It wasn’t all one man and his guitar though, as he was equally capable of delivering a fine a Capella number, sometimes with the guitar simply used as a percussion accompaniment.

Like their Yorkshire compadres, the Jon Palmer Acoustic Band the previous year, The Duncan McFarlane Band took to the stage with purpose and a whole load of energy, before treating the crowd to some proper folk-rock. There was singing and playing, clapping and guitars, fiddle and a melodeon, plus the feeling that they were enjoying themselves as much as the audience. The instrumental finale allowed for individual introductions and a chance to shine, though the opportunity will be repeated in 2026, as they were the people’s choice for a main stage slot.

Andy Tymens offered a different feel again! His award winning Nobody Listened To Miranda was both moving and engaging, but for sheer storytelling, a song involving alligators, snakes, boats guns and a Voodoo Queen can be considered almost unbeatable!

You know that you are in for a quality evening when the main stage line up is opened by someone who could justifiably be a headliner in his own right. Martin Simpson, for it was he, appeared alone, with just an acoustic guitar, but shared the stage with the likes of Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan – though he was at pains to point out that ‘Don’t Think Twice’ was performed in the Simpsonian style of the current day, rather than harking back any renditions from earlier years. Along with commentary about the present state of the world and their being no clear direction home, his between songs commentary gently but clearly echoed the sentiments of many of the performers over the three days, suggesting that wherever folk music is today, it has not moved too far from its roots. Of course, not only can he interpret the work of others with class and sensitivity, but there is also his own song writing (and playing) of the highest calibre, as evidenced by the inclusion of his self-deprecatingly introduced ‘hit’ ‘Never Too Good With Money’, watched and enjoyed from both out front and side stage as the next act appreciated the opportunity to watch a masterful performance up close and personal!

Merry Hell - Audience

Whilst declaring a personal interest in Merry Hell, for it was they, it would be remiss not to mention that, in common parlance, they smashed it! From the opening song, there was singing, swaying, joy and laughter, until they could resist no longer, and lifted by the band, the audience left their chairs to dance. A truly joyous 60 minutes that many may have found hard to follow, but with the room suitably warmed up, we were treated to a long goodbye of a headline set from a band that has gone everywhere and learned a thing or two about what’s going on and giving audiences what they want as a result. For many, a last chance to enjoy an evening with Oysterband and both sides seemed to want to make it count. As might be expected, the combination of emotion and celebration made for a powerful and moving experience. Playing a festival rather than a full concert show meant that the set had to be distilled to its essence and every note and word seemed to count with an audience that seemed to know every one of both! The men in black may not be disappearing completely, but if we never see each other again, Hey, That’s A Way To Say Goodbye!

Sunday witnessed an unfortunately delayed journey, so it was a pleasure and a relief to arrive in time to enjoy the globetrotting class of Winter Wilson. What do you want from a gig? Great songs, wonderful harmonies, lessons for a better life, musicianship of the highest order, a voice to die for and a rapport with each other and the audience that is beautiful to experience. Well, that’s what was expected and exactly what we got. Probably coming soon to a country near you – get along If you can, it’s what Johnny Cash would do!

We were prepared by WWWW (world wide Winter Wilson) for the gentle and unadulterated humanity of John Drakes, distilling his 70 years’ experience into a form that he now wants to share, speaking emotionally about the curse of homelessness and the following ‘In Real Terms’ is his reflection on political speak and actual ‘lived experience’. He is accompanied by his even older Gibson guitar, but having introduced that, his self-effacing humour forced him to admit that this was indeed overshadowed by the 380 year old cello featured on his album! As neat a way to introduce your merch as you are likely to see.

The Salts, making a rare Northern sojourn are enjoying a rising reputation on the festival scene and if is easy to see why, given their polished performance, 5 vocal arrangements and the best haircut/double bass combination you are likely to see. As their star has risen, so their overall being is evolving. From their early reliance on turbocharged shanties, there is now an increased and powerful folk-rock element to their set, along with a delivery that has humour in the delivery as well as in the musical flourishes, along with a little bit of history and politics in fair measure. Tighter than a sailor’s knot, if you thought that Bellowhead had made London Town their own, you can think again, as we were taken up to the rigs and down to the jigs in fine style. We went Running Down To Cuba before being treated to The Bulgine Run. A forthcoming appearance at Cropredy may well help turn their star into a constellation.

South Of Polaris offered yet another shift in style – though in fairness, they do take a variety of styles from folk through to flamenco, and fuse it into something of their own The duo of Dannii and Saul also made a well-received musical statement about the state of Blackpool, with a spirited and meteorologically correct cover of ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’.

Gus Glynne was another unbilled late addition to the line-up. A fabulously accomplished guitar player, who also fronts his own blues-rock band, he demonstrated that he is no also mean shakes as a solo singer songwriter, armed only with his voice and an acoustic guitar. In this guise, he was able to demonstrate his native Irish trad influences with the likes of ‘Blood In Our Veins’

Five Piece, Restless Oceans made their trip from Oxfordshire worthwhile, as they took the popular vote, meaning that those that missed their Americana nuanced folk-rock, heavy on the melody and even the occasional nod to prog, will be able to enjoy them on the Main Stage next January. Borrowing from one of their songs, they make the sort of noise that makes the whole world right – much enjoyed in these parts!

Morganway showed exactly why they are making waves of their own. Looking and sounding like they could have stolen the show at any great festival of the 70s and with energy to share and a vibe that says, ‘this is the band that you wanted to be in’, managing to be both cool and hot at the same time. Their folk-rock Americana floated a lot of boats ahead of the release of their soon come Kill The Silence album. It may be the case that, as their finale suggested, their Goddamn Time has come!

From the shock of the new to the surprise of the older! Despite a run of album chart success in the 80s and a regular stream of releases since, there is no getting away from the fact that for most people, Judy Tzuke will forever be known for her one big hit. The big question therefore is what will the rest of the 60 minutes be like? Thankfully, the answer is both enjoyable and musically interesting. Backed by a trio, including her daughter Bailey – who between them treated us to a version of John Martyn’s ‘May You Never’ while guitarist Chas Thorogood also got a solo feature, before we were introduced to his and Judy’s co-write ‘Evergreen’, introduced as a ‘an angry song’ but possibly the gentlest example of that genre you will ever hear! Yes, she did eventually treat us to ‘Stay With Me Till Dawn’, which given what had gone before, many would have taken the opportunity, but there was still the small matter of the headline act to enjoy!

McGoldrick, McCusker and Drever represent the pinnacle of British Folk musicality. While McG and McC are frequent collaborators, the former on whistles, flutes and pipes, and his partner adding transcendent fiddle playing, Kris Drever is an occasional collaborator, adding guitar and vocal, creating what would be in football terms, a world class strike force, or if Bake Off is more your reference, the cream that has risen to the top. Simply put, as the threesome weave musical magic around and between each other, there is nothing else to do but to watch in wonder where they will take you too next. The set is nicely augmented by songs richly delivered by Kris, with his partners picking up on the mood and adding their own instrumental voices. It is, as might be expected, given the overarching theme of the weekend, something different again, but as the crowd dispersed, the talk was all of how this line up could be beaten, but looking forward to finding out next year.

In musical terms, a triumph delivered by an inspired collection of artists, of varying degrees of recognition maybe, and people had their favourites, but no-one left disappointed by the quality on display The crowds may not have matched those for Britain’s Got Talent but no doubt trounced it in terms of originality. It’s an event that deserves to be nurtured and grow as a staple of the Folk Year – hopefully see you there next year – as we do like to be beside the seaside!

PS – apologies to the few artists who I was unable to see for one reason or another, it wasn’t a value judgement – just a matter of other demands! Big thanks to Steve, Suranne and Judith of Solid Entertainments for being the hosts with the most and Alan Ritson for being the compere without compare!