'Looking For A New England'... in Texas. Part 2
writes:
Our showcase was on Friday evening (19th March) at the , right in the heart of Austin. The venue consisted of a large, seated, atmospheric space with sunshine streaming through the windows, making it very beautiful but also feel slightly like sitting in an enormous sauna, fully clothed. began the evening with a set packed full of ancient English tunes, clog and Dartmoor step dancing, which they had modernised with drums and bass (Laurel Swift and Matt Norman of Gadarene had spent a day up and down 6th Street to advertise the show). It felt particularly poignant when I thought of the contrast between watching Matt step dancing on the wagon at the Dartmoor Folk Festival in , to watching him dance to a room full of intrigued Texans.
Our showcase was on Friday evening (19th March) at the , right in the heart of Austin. The venue consisted of a large, seated, atmospheric space with sunshine streaming through the windows, making it very beautiful but also feel slightly like sitting in an enormous sauna, fully clothed. began the evening with a set packed full of ancient English tunes, clog and Dartmoor step dancing, which they had modernised with drums and bass (Laurel Swift and Matt Norman of Gadarene had spent a day up and down 6th Street to advertise the show). It felt particularly poignant when I thought of the contrast between watching Matt step dancing on the wagon at the Dartmoor Folk Festival in , to watching him dance to a room full of intrigued Texans.
There followed a beautifully serene set by . Then I took to the stage with my band, followed by my brother , who had brought along Bristol rapper , who features on the track 'Lucy Wan' from Jim's '' album. The mixture of the humid heat and the energy from Jim's band stirred up a real feeling of excitement, and it was a delight to watch the audience gyrating to Jim's mix of tunes, dark tales and . Next was a great set from who wove traditional folk music through modern songs in weird and wonderful ways. The night was finished by a sublime set from , full of songs, harmonies and luscious textural arrangements.
I feel that the seed of the 21st century form of English folk music has been well and truly planted at , and that there is a burgeoning awareness of the depth of folk and traditional music currently blossoming in the UK. People seemed excited by the music that they were hearing; with many likening it to memories of and . At an impromptu house concert in the leafy suburbs the next day, people were keen to glean as much as they could about the sources of the material, the instrumentation and the processes involved.
For myself I feel like I have gained a new perspective from stepping outside of my world and seeing the music in the context of other genres and places. Above all else, the collective experience of performing and working alongside the wonderful young artists involved in this showcase has reaffirmed my total love of this music and its heritage.
I feel that the seed of the 21st century form of English folk music has been well and truly planted at , and that there is a burgeoning awareness of the depth of folk and traditional music currently blossoming in the UK. People seemed excited by the music that they were hearing; with many likening it to memories of and . At an impromptu house concert in the leafy suburbs the next day, people were keen to glean as much as they could about the sources of the material, the instrumentation and the processes involved.
For myself I feel like I have gained a new perspective from stepping outside of my world and seeing the music in the context of other genres and places. Above all else, the collective experience of performing and working alongside the wonderful young artists involved in this showcase has reaffirmed my total love of this music and its heritage.
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