Vinyl Dialog

The Big Chill - 2005

2005-08-16T14:21:00.000Z

I will be posting a review of the Big Chill just as soon as I remember what happened. Be patient. It's on it's way.

CROPREDY

2005-08-10T16:32:00.000Z

Rainbow jumpers, hemp pixie hats and lots of beards (even on the women) await me in a little village called Cropredy, for the annual 3 day folk festival organised by headliners Fairport Convention.

Folk?....did I say folk? To be honest if you had asked me 4 years ago if I'd like to go to a folk festival, I'd have told you what I told my girlfriend at the time " I f**ing hate fiddles...and real ale drinking beardy weirdos". However she somehow convinced me to go (having been taken by her parents since a kid) and I having been every year since, I'm really glad she did.

Ok, admittedly it manages to attract some of our countries leading puglies but it has the friendliest vibe of any festival I have ever been to. What other festival can boast showers at a cricket club, a canoe club quiz, breakfast at a village hall, toilets with flowers(fake but it's the thought that counts) and one of the largest out door bars in Europe...oh and some pretty fine musicians too. And unlike some festivals, this is not a catwalk, these people come to get drunk but not lairy, get on with each other and dance badly to the music.

On the subject of music, it's not just folk. A few years ago I saw an Indian band called Mustafir who had a moustache wearing male dancer in a pink dress, breathing fire, balancing a huge cart wheel on his head while smashing glasses under foot.... I’m not joking. This year sees the like of The Dylan Project, amazing guitarist and songwriter Richard Thompson and the Ukulele band of Great Britain. It also tends to attract real music legends, It's not rare to see or hear Robert Plant.

With only one stage, it's also the lazy man's perfect festival. Once your deck chair is set up you are free to open the cool box full of beers (yes they actually allow you to take beers in) and drink until you are

With so many festivals born purely to steal money from your pocket it's great to go to one organised by musicians for music lovers.

I'll report back on the music when the hangover clears.

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CLOR - The Metro Club, London, Thursday 21/07/2005

2005-07-27T08:48:00.000Z

On a day of suspect devices and traffic mayhem, we managed to get into central London to Oxford Street's Metro Club, or to be more precise Blow Up Metro as it's known, quite an unfortunate name given the events of the day. Not really knowing too much about Clor or their music I was quite literally blown away by how good they were. We were treated to the whole album (I think) and at least one tune twice. Some quite gruesome graphics were also on display which added to the fun. Definite highlights were Good Stuff, Dangerzone and Love and Pain. The front man is a really good singer and their bass player is a bit of a genius. Check out their website for news of tours and other bits and bobs.

Is there anybody out there?

2005-07-26T16:16:00.000Z

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