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Believe it or not, the festival gods were shining on the Larmer Tree yesterday with 12 hours of cloud-free blue skies and sun. Bournemouth’s Baker Brothers were the first up in the Arc tent. A little late on duty, Chris Pedley looked like he’d come straight from the beach (actually, doesn’t he always look like that?) but to make up for it, we were promised that they’d be twice as fast and three times as loud. Deal, we thought as the horns were tight, the sun was shining and the bar open. We were treated to some old favourites, ‘Peace of Mind’, ‘Tighten Up’ and ‘Hold On’ but it was ‘Winding Rhythm’ that got the crowd dancing. As good as Chris is on vocals, it was a pity Vanessa Freeman couldn’t make the gig, as she’d have torn up the place.

And the funk and horns faded to their new number, ‘Disco Bus’ (only the second time it’d been heard in public), moving from the Arc tent, past the Tree Lodge and into the main lawn, the distinctive sound of Show Of Hands got ever louder.

Phil and Steve were joined by their regular double bass player and backing vocalist, Miranda Sykes for this trio performance. The lawn was already full and Phil’s fiddlin’ was getting the crowd going with old folky favs like ‘Crown On The Cradle’. Steve’s inter-song banter seems to be getting sharper each time I see them (apparently Show Of Hands have been voted “The Greatest Ever Devonians”) and his lyrics are out-doing even Billy Bragg (as Wyl found out last year in Bloomsbury).

Proving the point ‘Country Life’ seems even more relevant on a day Gordon Brown does his ‘homes fit for heroes’ announcement. Last year’s album Witness is just as good with ‘Roots’, ‘The Dive’ and ‘Undertow’. By the time they get to a sea shanty encore, the wind has got up and you could feel yourself swaying on the ship.

Steve did mention during the show that for any musicians looking for tips on the business he’d pass on these wise words of a bloke they met on their travels, “Don’t play in Blandford”. Show Of Hands, the Flyest folk band ever.

Now Jools Holland is acclaimed as a national treasure. He’s been there or there about for the past 30 years from his session days with Mark Perry’s ATV, Squeeze, The Tube to the long running Later… on the Beeb.

However, you always got the feeling he was born 20 years too late as the music he loves, is the rockin’ blue boogie woogie soul of the 50s and 60s. Not everyone’s plastic cup of white wine on a picnic lawn but you’ve got to take your hat off to him as it was packed. Admittedly it was a knowledgeable crowd, as he went through Fats Waller, Hoagy Carmichael (with a new member of the Orchestra, Louise Marshall who sounded very good) to the rather appropriate ‘I’m Movin’ Out To The Country’ by Solomon Burke; “Lets hear it for Solomon Burke” he enthuses, “He can’t hear us but lets do it anyway.”

The best thing about this gig is the powerful horn section of the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, which includes Ska legend Rico Rodriguez. His vocals might not be as strong as they were but his trombone is as good as ever.

In between the intermittent ska and reggae, another Jools favourite joins the band; the “scary” boogie-woogie queen Ruby Turner who is so powerful, she could have brought the trees down. It was enough to prompt two Peacocks to take to flight from behind the stage and fly over the lawn to big crowd oohhhs.

The special guest vocalist to join in for the last quarter of an hour was “British R&B legend”, Lulu. Strange to think 40 years ago she was on tour with The Walker Brothers (as featured in the recent Scott Walker film, 30th Century Man) but it was all a bit too much for me, ‘Hangin’ With The Band’, ‘Sweet Nuthins’, ‘Where Have All Good Guys Gone’ until the inevitable ‘Shout’.

While they came back for an encore, and could have boogie woogied and rattle and rolled on the lawn all night long, it reminded me of a very big Wedding Reception; even with the glitter balls in the trees. I suppose that’s his appeal, like a favourite Uncle that always gives you sweets. Either that, or these guys are ahead of themselves as the rumour has it, the next big thing is 50’s rock ‘n’ roll! I’ll keep you posted on that one but by the end of the show it had been a long day in the fresh air.

Not only that, 4 more days to go!

Links:
www.larmertreefestival.co.uk
www.showofhands.co.uk
www.thebakerbrothers.com
Rico Rodriguez
hoagy.com