Francis Rodino at Solfest

(by Utterly B Groovy) As some of you may already be aware, the drive up to Cumbria for SolFest was less that brilliant! Accident after accident on the M6 meant it was a 9 hour slog – for future reference I would suggest driving up the M1, A1(M), then A66 across to Penrith where there is a cracking café for the hungry amongst you – Doug’s Diner, just tell ‘em I sent you and they’ll look at you like yer mad!

… Anyway …

A few highlights worth a quick mention:

Adrian Edmondson & The Bad Shepherds : Folk/Celtic versions of punk classics – Excellent

The Lancashire Hotpots: Comedy Folk Band, again, folk versions of classics, and some original stuff too

Nerina Pallot : DWM texted me to catch this girl and she was/is awesome.

6 Day Riot : Check ‘em out

Seth Lakeman : Violin singer with band … hmmm now who else do we know like that? [cough-Lunic-cough]. More folky than Kaitee but it was ideal for a damp Cumbrian festival!

OK, so tell us about Francis Rodino’s encounter at The Bar Stage I hear you call:

A few words about The Bar Stage: It’s a bar (whoo hooo) with a stage (yer baby!), so all’s well so far. It’s also in a big tent at a Cumbrian music festival with a large depression off the west coast and the tail end of hurricane something-or-other throwing all sorts of unpleasantness our way. A lot of people seek refuge in the Bar Stage Tent and sit at the tables leaving little room for those there to see the bands.

Francis takes to the stage with his newly full lineup and wows them from the start, but still the tired and damp remain seated until Drink! kicks in and there’s an honest to goodness charge of drunken dancers wading through the tired and hopeless to form an impromptu mosh pit at the front. This really is a ‘stomper’ of a track and so well matched to the atmosphere in the Bar Tent that everyone takes notice!

Ending with Eternity brings the crowd back down to Earth with Nik Hollis coaxing such ethereal sounds from his guitar like he’s away with the faeries! Beautiful and wonderful.

Thanks Fran, for making the effort to find a festival and for driving all the way up to play – Did you know how far away Cumbria was when you booked? LOL.

Francis and the boys hooked up with us afterwards, but I was pretty shot by then and could only manage a beer before wandering back to my tent – and they all escaped the rain and wind by driving home on Sunday morning.

It was a V. long Weekend but definitely worth it. SolFest is one of those small, intimate, family type festivals with a really friendly feel and the, now de rigueur, fancydress Saturdays, which makes it all the more pleasant!

Tags: Francis Rodino