FolkWorld Live Review by Eugene Graham; 09/2002
Here we were again, another scorching month of August and another
Tønder festival. On the way over from Copenhagen the signs became evident as
the music enthusiasts loaded down with rucksacks, tents and sleeping bags filled
the train. This years festival was dominated by the spirit of renewal. There
were young bands from Ireland, Scotland, Canada and not least Denmark, rubbing
shoulders with the Dubliners, the Mc Calmans, Donovan and Norma Waterson and
they left their mark on the concerts and especially the sessions.The Danish
input has never been greater with Zar, Instinct and all the students from the
Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense making a great impact.
Day 1. Thursday:
Croft
No. 5 a really young band from the highlands of Scotland started the ball
rolling in the big tent.As usual for the Thursday folk rock concerts most of
the seating was left out so that there was plenty of room for leaping about.Driven
on by the funk-soul rythms of Paul Jennings on drums and particularly Somhairle
Mac Donald on bass, Adam Sutherland, fiddle and Misha Somerville flute pogoed
around the stage but one could always hear their traditional musical background
shining through. This is a band with an image that helps attract the younger
rock audience to folk music. (photo on the left: Croft No. 5)
Runrig one of the darling bands of the festival over the last ten years
came on next with their unmistakable romantic highlands folk rock. Four years
ago Bruce Guthro from Canada made his debut as replacement for the incredibly
popular lead singer Donnie Munro and in the intervening years has forged himself
a similar role. As he said, "I`m not a new boy anymore".Runrig have an amazing
grip on their audience in Tønder. The bulk of the crowd could sing along with
all the songs unaided and I wondered how many times does a band have to play
in the same place for this to be possible? The newer material from their latest
studio recording, The Stamping Ground was also received with raptuous applause
from the loyal fans.
Meanwhile more and more musicians were filtering in to the festival site and
congregating in the teriffic backstage bars which are a hallmark of this event.
Thursday was a foretaste for what was to come.
Day 2. Friday:
Even
before the official festival opening down in Tønder town there was an interesting
press reception at 12.00 where the CD "Banjoman" was launched. This is a tribute
to the the great American banjo player Derroll Adams featuring a wide variety
of artists including Dolly Parton, Billy Connolly Arlo Guthrie, Donavon and
Ramblin`Jack Elliot. On Sunday night there would be an all star concert in memory
of one of Tønder festival`s most prominent profiles from the early years.
Friday evening approached and the usual Tønder dilemma, which concerts to
go to?! I love the atmosphere inside the big tents so I plumped for The Alan
Kelly Mosaic Band in Tent 1 to start with. I have been an admirer of Alan´s
since his work in the Michael Mc Goldrick big band and his debut CD Out of the
Blue from 1997. John Kelly, Alan`s brother, on flute led into the first three
reels and set the tone for the rest of the gig. Arrangements varied from the
the experimental to the traditional and included some of the tunes he and his
brother have just released on a CD called "Fourmilehouse".This band has so many
star performers and features the very jazzy playing of Richie Buckly on sax
and Daniel Healy on trumpet, not to mention that former showband guitar hero
Arty Mc Glynn. Arty is one of the all time originals of Irish music from the
last twenty years and one baroque piece of his sticks in the mind.When Alan
and the seven members of his band finished the crowd was buzzing as the stage
crew rushed around doing their usual rapid changeover. (Photo on the right:
Alan and John Kelly)
Next
came Dervish the by now legendery Sligo group led by the charismatic
singer Cathy Jordan. Apart from Cathy herself Dervish`s trademark is their rhythm
section of bazouki, mandola and guitar supplemented by bodhrán or bones.The
tunes fairly hum along interspersed with songs of quality. Early on Cathy sang
"The banks of the old Idaho" and explained that last year Dervish had celebrated
their tenth year together. With her very individualistic sense of dress and
ebulliant personality, not to mention her wonderful penetrating voice, she remains
one of the great lead singers on the Irish scene.Where others experiment Dervish
prefer to hone their edge and stick to a fast sweet rendition of jigs and reels.This
is a reflection of their background in Sligo one of the great sources of the
Irish music tradition. (Photo on the left: Dervish)
Next I caught part of the Waifs` set over in Tent 2. Here was a bit
of light relief from the intensity of the two previous gigs. The Waifs play
a kind of Australian rock-a-billy country music. Their acoustic guitar based
sound coupled with the the vocal harmonies of Donna and Vikki Simpson appeals
across the board. To their own songs they add some well known Bob Dylan numbers
and in their charming way they captivate the audience. After their first Tønder
appearance last year they were in such demand that they performed twice in the
big tents this time round.
The last concert in tent 2 was given by Blou a Cape Breton band who
mix a good deal of cajun music into their traditional repetoire. Powered by
the muscular delivery of Patrice Boulianne on accordian they entertained the
crowd as only Canadian bands can with lots of anecdotes and stories of where
they found their tunes. This was the ideal way to finish off Friday night and
we all were impressed by the versatility of Dillon Robicheau who switched with
ease from guitar to mandolin or banjo. And he could sing as well!
Day 3. Saturday:
Saturday in Tønder is a day full of music. The main events start at 1.00 but
on the outside stage at Haggis Bar near the main festival site live music started
at 11.00. The recently formed duo of Michael Rose on piano and Ditte Mortensen
on fiddle calls itself Contradiction and they have developed a niche
of celtic-inspired music..Some of the tunes are familiar but the approach manages
to be formal yet playful and this was stylishly compliamented by the playing
of guest bag piper Stig Bang Mortensen. After this refreshing entré we filtered
back up to the festival site for the first main course of the afternon.
The
afternoon was dedicated to the new generation of Danish musicians combined with
some Scottish and Canadian acts. Zar opened proceedings in Tent two with
a brilliant interpretation of Danish folk music.Here is a band which adds humour
and "lift" to music which has long lain dormant. Hearing them reminded me what
the Chieftains and later the Bothy Band did for Irish music arrangements in
the `70s During their set they changed direction into some latin influenced
tunes and had in Sine Lahm a singer of sublime beauty and talent.During her
husky version of the well known Danish song "Jeg går i tusind tanker" you could
hear a pin drop.Rasmus Zeeberg on guitar, also known for his work with Copenhagen
based group Flax in Bloom, Chrispopher Davis Maack, fiddle and Steffen Søgård
Sørensen, contrabass and fiddle are the three original members of this group
and were to be found in the middle of the ongoing sessions until late Sunday
night. (Photo on the right: Sine Lahm of Zar)
Emily Smith, one of Scotlands brightest young singers and accordianists,
and Fiddlers Bid from Shetland showed what a renaissance is taking place
at the moment in traditional Scottish music. Last year half of the latter were
left fog bound at home and didn`t make it to Tønder but this year they made
up for it.Then it was left to the young musicians from the Carl Nielsen Academy
of Music in Odense to show us what they could do and they took us through
a variety of musical influences, including, apart from new arrangements of old
Danish tunes, Swedish unaccompanied songs and klesmer music popular in Scandinavia
in the 1800`s. When the music programme was first made public many people wondered
what this new generation would be capable of. The answer loud and clear was
music of great depth and variety. We have a lot to look forward to at coming
festivals
For
my first concert of the eveing I cycled down to Tønder Gymnasium to hear North
Cregg with their distinctive "Sliabh Luachra" sound Their style has a lot
to do with box player Christy Leahy who slowly but surely is being regarded
in Ireland as a maestro on his instrument..Butressed by his brother Martin on
snare drum and on occasion two pianos, Christy led through selections of slides,
reels and polkas. A polka can mean many things to many men but in counties Cork
and Kerry (in Ireland) a polka is a ripping dance form. Jason O`Driscoll, guitar,
and Paul Meehan on banjo and mandolin had them rattling along with Christy`s
sometimes snarling accordian.Fiona Kelleher from west Cork has a fragile but
sensitive voice and her songs were in contrast to the otherwise furious pace
set by the lads.The last few jigs included Michael Mc Goldrick`s Number 2 and
the suitably chosen Thunderhead (Tønderhead!!) which led into the wild ragtime
finale where Ciaran Coughlin really vamped and pounded his piano. After a break
they were off down to the Visemøllen to host the late night sessions. (Photo
on the left: North Cregg)
Then it was back on the bike and up to Tent 1 again to hear John Mc Cusker
and Friends. Here we had a veritable "supergroup" consisting of John himself
on fiddle and bazouki, John Joe Kelly on bodhrán, Iain Mc Donald on highland
pipes and flute, Andy Cutting on melodian, Ian Carr on guiter, Kris Drever on
guitar and vocals and last but not least possibly the most sought after name
in traditional music today, Michael Mc Goldrick on flute, whistles and uileann
pipes. The sheer virtuosity of the playing and the tightness of the arrangements
was stunning as each piece of music unfolded. First one, the the other would
take up a solo. Its hard to prise one tune from the other so consistent was
the quality. All this was interspersed some songs from that incorrigable festival
prowler Tim O`Brien who seems to be able, and very willing, to fit in anywhere
musical instruments are played.This was a concert of wonderful music the like
of which we rarely get to hear. At the end I had to remind myself that the evening
was not over yet. But how to follow that?!
But yes there was another concert to follow.Cherish the Ladies came
on to give us a taste of the American way of presenting music. Even though their
line up has changed over the years Cherish the Ladies continue to entertain
with a varied repetoire and that nowadays populer combination of music and dance.The
audience responded and there was plenty of leaping about out on the wings.
Day 4. Sunday:
Sunday
afternoon in Tønder means Ceilidh time.This is not a ceilidh in the sense that
we all dance to traditional Irish music, but we are offered little glimpses
of bands we have missed in their main concerts and then at the end loads of
musicians come up and play together. In Tent 2 we had Dervish, the
Duhks from Canada, North Cregg, Blou, Tim O`Brien,
John Mc Cusker and Friends, Swåp, an English - Swedish quartet
consisting of Karen Tweed on accordian, Ian Carr guitar, and Ola Bäckström and
Carina Normansson on fiddles, Rory Mc Leod & Aimee Leonard, Waterson-Carthy
and Donald Black. Our host was Ron Kavana.It was great to hear
a few songs from the incomparable Norma Waterson, a woman who infuses such emotion
into every song she sings. Then we had the very witty Rory Mc Leod on guitar
and trombone backed by his partner Aimee Leonard on bodhrán and his son Sonny
aged four playing the spoons! These Sunday afternoons have a carnival athmosphere
and as Tim O`Brien finished yet another song from the bottomless pit of his
American bluegrass - country tradition he turned and asked "Where else would
one rather be?" He then rambled first into Cotton Eyed Joe to be followed by
Irene Goodnight with at least thirty musicians joining him. (photo on the right:
Cathy Jordan with Tim O'Brian)
From the moment the ceilidh finished sessions broke out around the festival
site and particularly back stage. Once again I had a chance to listen to some
performers I had missed. Seamus Begley is a colossus on the accordian and he
and Karen Tweed got settled down in one corner and started playing. A few hours
later they were still at it and had been joined by an array of instruments including
Michael McGoldrick this time playing a snare drum he had borrowed from Martin
Leahy of North Cregg! In another bar the young Danes got together and showed
what they could do.There was hardly time for a sandwich before the grand finale.
(Photos below: Session with Zar; session with Michael McGoldrick and Seamus
Begley)
The final concert was a marathon. It was in two parts, the first being an
all star tribute to Deroll Adams featuring Ramblin` Jack Elliot, Arlo Guthrie,
Donovan, blues guitarist Hans Theessink, songwriter Allan Taylor, Youra Marcus
from Belgium and legendary bass player Danny Thompson. One great song after
the other rolled out before the break. Then on came the Dubliners still celebrating
their 40 years in showbusiness. Sadly lacking the ill Jim Mc Cann they had however
welcomed back their former front man with the gravel voice Ronnie Drew and they
proceeded to give the hugely loyal last night audience exactly what they wanted.
Barny Mc Kenna`s voice might be a bit shakey when he introduces the tunes but
there was no mistaking his banjo solos and such classics as The Wild Rover had
us swaying and singing along. And so it was almost over and we watched the musicians
who had entertained us so much over the previous four days file on to fill up
the stage and sing the traditional parting song of the Tønder festival - Will
the Circle be Unbroken? Of course it won`t. As we trooped off to even more sessions
those leaving were already making arrangements to meet up again next year the
last weekend in August.
Photo Credit: All photos by Eugene Graham More reports of the Tønder Festival 2002 in German: Reports of Tønder Festivals of recent years: To the content of FolkWorld
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Gammel Dansk und junge Kelten
(by Tom Keller), and Singer/Songwriter Legenden
und neuere Gesichter (by Gerald Trebaticky)
2001a, 2001b, 2000,
1999a, 1999b,
1998
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