A bit live at WOMAD
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.
30 years of WOMAD
I sort of wish I hadn’t folded this programme in half, but I did, and I probably won’t keep it. It was one of the best programmes for WOMAD I’ve seen in years.
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.
The Correspondents at WOMAD
I did really like this band. They were a bit of a revelation and also in some ways a bit of an oddity from a WOMAD perspective. From a live perspective they were both amazing and somewhat pedestrian at the same time. The front man had more energy than you likely to see on most stages, but the chap driving the sound was really just a laptop operator. Not that there’s anything wrong with that at all, but I thought it was an odd contrast.
After WOMAD I looked them up on Spotify and listened to some of their stuff, which was good on the whole, it’s just a shame that there isn’t very much of it available.
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.
Molly’s Bar (at WOMAD)
It was a completely awesome place, and I saw Biscuit Head and the Biscuit Badgers there!
The Portico Quartet Live
This was the most inspiring performance of WOMAD this year. The Portico Quartet were amazing, their ability to improvise and produce intricate cross rhythms was absolutely brilliant.
It was great to see them and it made me rethink what I’m doing musically.
A QR code on a frame drum?
I went along to a workshop at WOMAD this year and I had to get a shot of this frame drum with a QR code on it. What a great idea!
Yes, that is a large polar bear
But that’s what you need sometimes to alert people to a real problem. Well done greenpeace.
Home (during WOMAD)
I bought this tent as my last 2 man pop up tent had really gone beyond what I could expect from it, so this 3 man replaced it, and I have to say that I’ve been really pleased with it. It has loads of space and was just great during WOMAD. It’s slightly more complex to put away than the other pop up tents I’ve had, but even so it only took a few minutes to get it packed away.
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.
WOMAD
Even though I only managed to get there for a day this year it was still brilliant. And whilst the programme will end up in the recycling bin in due course it still serves as a reminder of a great day out.
Of course next year is the 30th anniversary of WOMAD, so I hope / plan to be there for a the whole weekend. I bet it will be awesome.
