Musical Mystery Tour breaks all records
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| Tom Braggins and band featuring Jade Williams |
It was as if Glastonbury Fayre had come to town at the weekend when the Hertford Music Festival’s Musical Mystery Tour get off to a perfect start outside the White Hart public house. But instead of rain, mud and dodgy food there was sun, fun and endless good music lasting well into the evening.
Tom Braggins brought the crowd to their feet with his own lilting, melodic brand of blues, jazz and melodic rock, with a guest appearance from Jade Williams, the sultry chanteuse who went down a storm last year with her blues and jazz inflected torch songs.
Like Jim Morrison meets the Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, surreal comic actor David O’Kelly and friends entertained with a spontaneous blend of psychedelic off-the-wall poetry, songs and music. The line-up of musicians included ‘a couple of old time jazz players who worked with beatnik poets way back when and comedy chat and theatrics in between songs’ together with backing from local musicians.
Possibly the most well received band of the afternoon was Divided Opinions featuring the vocal and violin talents of Johnny Kidd’s niece. And that rock pedigree showed through in the band’s unique brand of psychedelic, folk-tinged Indie rock with its lavishly emotional violin battling with wicked guitar licks.
Like Johnny Cash meets The Ramones, Los Chicos Muertos kicked up a storm with their blend of fuzzed-up guitars, voodoo swamp drumming and plaintive lap-steel, slap bass, fiddle and banjo making for an intoxicating, addictive and original sound that instilled spine tingling delirium.
They were followed by Nuala, Hertford’s own chanteuse from Caitlin Records, Rob Clydesdale & Lindsey, Gary Lammin (ex Cock Sparrer and Little Roosters as seen at Strum City), Kev Saunders & Ed Brown, Joolz from Divided Opinions and Leon Colven (ex Gaff) in a packed afternoon from 1 to 6.30pm
From 6pm onwards, Hertford’s Corn Exchange was the venue with ‘Blues Surgery’ featuring The Doctors plus special guests and Open Mic, a house band playing popular blues music to heal what ails you, including BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Fleetwood Mac (the Green days). Then from 3-4pm Cowbridge Halls saw guitarist Howard Bryant performing as part of the Hertford Art Society Annual Open Exhibition, while from 6.30pm Selahdore performed their own brand of live rock at Number 11, Old Cross.
The Old Barge on Folly Island saw acoustic singer/songwriters and guitarists Leon Colven and Will Thomas team up while Hertford Music Festival and Strum City favourite Sam Baker played her bittersweet songs. The Bob Villains paid tribute to Bob Dylan at The Hart’s Horns, in Horns Mill, between 1-3pm while punk poet Gazzy Roxx entertained the crowds at the Marquee Club from 3pm.
Hertford Music Festival music director Kev Saunders commented: “Last year's Musical Mystery Tour proved that the idea of bringing the music festival into the heart of the town captured people's imagination – and thanks to an even better line-up of more than 60 performers and amazing weather this year's event was a triumph. It's hard to imagine how it could have gone better in fact! Several hundred people packed Salisbury Square from noon till 8pm - and everyone was still partying at midnight at The Corn Exchange and Number 11. I'd like to thank everyone for supporting the event - the venues, the audience and of course all the performers!”
The Hertford Music Festival, which this year celebrates its 15th birthday, is again sponsored by Universal Office Automation and grant aided by Hertford Town Council. Creative design and the official Hertford Music Festival 2008 logo are sponsored by The Rockfish Creative Consultancy.
Festival programmes are still available from the Tourist Information Centre in Market Place, Castle Hall, the Hertford Marquee, from venues and from other designated outlets. For information on events in this year’s Hertford Music Festival visit www.hertfordmusicfestival.co.uk/calendar.asp