HI all, just about recovered from the OFF. Danu headlined on Sat and even without their piper (injured) they were totally arse kicking awesome dude! Frankie Gavin also played and again was just sublime, but he played the whole set with this awful, loud electric piano. Of all the instruments to go with traditional fiddle! He was still a joy to behold, just would have been more joyful without that bloody piano
Yeah. That piano ruined it for me too. When the accompanist switched to “organ mode” for the slow air/slow reel set, that was four times louder than it needed to be and set the balconies resonating dreadfully. So much for the ‘sound check’ (which kept us all locked out of the hall for the best part of an hour before the performance). I’d have preferred to have heard Frankie Gavin play solo.
Mawkin were good too (better on the second stage than on the main stage).
The Wrigley Sisters were brilliant too.
I am also recovering from OFF weekend. I didn’t see any bands just came down for sessions and fun!!! Alternating between “The Half Moon” & “The Old Tom” The highlight for me was the Sunday night session in “The Old Tom” Excellent whistle/recorder players and two very good pipers. I played guitar and kept my whistles well out of sight. Thanks to Colin on accordion for an of the cuff solo on one of my songs.
Thanks to one and all for a memorable night.
Mikk
Off to Brigg Fiddle Festival next weekend
The piano player should have been shot.
He was smoking in a no-smoking building during the sound check too. Basically his plinky plonky detracted from The G’s playing.
Conan on the accordion is a wicked player, and a thoroughly nice bloke. Sadly the session in Hammersmith I’ve been to a couple of times, at which he played at during its four week lifespan, is now defunct thanks to the pub goers being more interested in televised football.
I’m just hoping I can make a few more sessions with Conan elsewhere or elsewhen, as he adds greatly to the fun.
Shame to miss the pipers at the ‘Old Tom’ sessions. If you lot want to come down to the Floating Tionol sessions have a peek at the NPU site or PM me.
Photos of this years festival at The Old Tom are now on their web site
Scroll down on homepage to:-
"Oxford Folk Festival coming again In May 2005 Watch this space!!
Great time here at The Old Tom. Click here for photos"
Top picture, big nose silly grin… that’s me!!!
I was hoping there would be a picture of the pipers.
It was not Uillean pipes at the session but a type of English pipes. These two gentlemen were not the pipers, but the pipes on the left were exactly the type that were played.
They be John Swaine English borderpipes I think. I reckon I know who was there now. Shame to miss it, but you can’t be everywhere at once. Top fezzie, considering it’s only been going two years. My next one’s the Blowout in Bedfordshire, then the Floating Tionol, a load of shanty fezzies and then Sidmouth and Cropredy.