This is from way back in the summer, but we did manage a couple of songs on one of the open mic stages at WOMAD, which was great fun actually. In fact, we should do it more often I think.
Category: Festivals
This is mainly going to be music festivals, but it could be any kind of festival I suppose.
Turing Fest programme
A really good event. Well worth the visit. I think that if I manage to go to Edinburgh for next year’s festival I’ll have to try to get along to more stuff.
That’s a hell of a bar
That’s the backstage bar at WOMAD this year. It was one of the best interior’s for the backstage bar I’ve seen and was a great place to hang out in.
Lo’Jo at WOMAD
This was an interesting band that I ended up watching late night at WOMAD. Quite a cool live presence. I’ve located them on spotify now and so I plan to give them a proper listen.
The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel
This was certainly one of the most visually stimulating shows at WOMAD this year. Even if you didn’t enjoy the music (which I did), just the set design on it’s own was really impressive. As you can see, all of the musicians were sitting or sometimes standing in these cubes with lights around them, and as they performed the lights around their box came on. When they weren’t performing their lights went off. There were 40 musicians involved in this performance which lasted about an hour and a half.
Aside from the visual spectacle the music was amazing too and included some really incredible performances. But the thing needed to be seen and heard as a whole really. It was made to be experienced as a package, and so I think it’s difficult to explain or convey just how good it was.
The Arboretum at WOMAD
One thing that I perhaps don’t mention to much about WOMAD is about what a lovely location and environment it is. The Arboretum at WOMAD is a good example of this. It is probably most impressive at night when the installations and displays are lit up and really make the environment come alive.
Though even through the day it’s a lovely place to amble through in between watching great music and finding interesting food. I think I spent more time there this year than in past years. Perhaps I had to spend more time reflecting this year.
Taste the World
I’d never been to the Taste The World tent at WOMAD properly before, so this was a bit of a new experience for me, and it was really good. To the point where I’d like to get hold of some of the recipes actually. Not that I can find them on the WOMAD site as yet, so I hope they haven’t been taken down already.
I thought it was a great idea to get some of the artists showing their favourite recipes and how to make them, and next time I’m at WOMAD I’ll certainly give it a go again.
WOMAD. Yes, 30 years and still great
I had a great time at WOMAD this year. It was a good time to relax and reflect on what’s been a very busy year indeed. More thoughts on this over the next few days.
The magical walk to Beyond the Border (or at least it was)
In years gone by this was the walk down from the camp site to the main festival site for Beyond the Border. Sadly it wasn’t so magical this year. Perhaps largely due to the weather and the fact that it was so muddy.
Anyway, it wasn’t as nice as before, which was a shame, but the event itself was good, and that’s more or less the main thing I guess.
Amazing what people make
Something from Beyond The Border. I saw this in the blue garden this weekend. Beautiful. But then, that’s what you expect form Beyond the Border. So glad I went this year again.
I am Ashley Elsdon 