The Kirton in Lindsey Garden Festival, which celebrated its sixth anniversary this weekend, was intended once again to take place in the wonderful and spacious garden of residents and passionate supporters of the local americana music scene, John and Val Donaghy. Alas, as was the case back in 2023, the weather forecast had conspired to force local promotor Brain Chudley to make the difficult decision of changing the setting for the venue to the nearby Town Hall, with just a day’s notice. However, to maintain a festival feel, all those who had bought tickets were encouraged to bring their own chairs, food, and drink, resulting in an eclectic mix of seating apparatus and well-stocked hampers that certainly helped to recreate the required festival vibe. The decision to move the location inside was more than vindicated, for just as the first act of the day was about to take to the stage, the proverbial heavens opened.
This year’s headline act required little introduction to the local congregation, having appeared on this hallowed stage numerous times, initially as support, where he never failed to be called back for an encore, and more recently as top of the bill. Originally from just across the Humber Estuary in Hull, though born in America, Danny Bradley has in recent years resided in Liverpool. Having released his debut album “Small Talk Songs” towards the end of 2021, this year has already seen Bradley secure the coveted role as support on Fairport Convention’s annual New Year tour, and most recently completed a six-date run of gigs as support for the legendary singer-songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire Richard Thompson.
With this being Bradley’s first visit back at the Town Hall since March 2023, it proved the perfect opportunity for him to introduce the audience to a selection of newer material ahead of the release of his sophomore album, slated for release early next year, alongside more familiar numbers. The crowd favourite from previous visits, ‘All Over The Floor’, features early in the set, Bradley’s astonishing musicality on full view as his distinctly long fingers danced over the fretboard, combining intricate chord shapes and fluid melodic runs, intermittently adorned with dazzling harmonics, that collectively created a kaleidoscopic soundscape. Narratively, his songs are like a series of self-contained vignettes written with the keenest eye of a screenwriter or theatre dramatist, which, along with the melodies, is never afraid to suddenly deviate off on a tangent, keeping the listener alert and involved throughout. Comparisons are both many and futile, with such luminaries as Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley, the aforementioned Richard Thompson, as well as the cult singer-songwriter David Ackles, all valid suggestions, and yet in truth, no one plays guitar, sings, or writes songs quite like Bradley.
After a recent performance in Hexham, Bradley was introduced to the famous luthier Stefan Sobell, and after being invited to his home to try a few of the great man’s hand-built guitars, was encouraged to borrow one for his up-and-coming shows. Clearly still floating on cloud nine by the honour, Bradley carefully removed the extremely expensive instrument from its case, a long-scale 2D anniversary model for all you guitar enthusiasts, before demonstrating its astonishing range and clarity of sound with a version of Bob Dylan’s classic ‘Boots Of Spanish Leather’ unlike any version previously heard. He followed this with a brand new number, played live for the first time entitled ‘Art School’, which immediately resonated with the audience, and along with more familiar new songs such as ‘I Know Fire’ and ‘Timothy Carlisle’, all suggested the new album just can’t come soon enough.
Bradley’s set list mixed the new with both tracks from his debut, such as the sublimely beautiful ‘If Ever He Blinks’ along with a selection of covers that intimated at his own influences that included a powerful rendition of Pete Seeger’s ‘Waste Deep In The Deep Muddy’, while closing his set with a stunning version of Doc Watson’s ‘Deep River Blues’. Needless to say, an encore was rightfully demanded by the vociferous audience with Bradley rewarding them with his take on the blues classic ‘Sitting On The Top Of The World’, leaving everyone desperate for more, but collectively aware that they had just witnessed a truly unique talent.
Bradley’s performance was preceded by another act familiar to Kirton in Lindsey, though, to be fair, it had been several years since their last visit. To be exact, it had been nine years since Bradford-based duo Plumhall last tread these hallowed boards, having supported American singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriquez during her visit in 2016, but their performance that night had lived long in the memory, marking this return as long overdue.
Made up of Michelle Plum, whose previous credits include a four-year stint with Chumbawamba, four years as a session musician with The Chris Norman Band, along with being a co-founder of the folk band Wither The Witch, and Nick Hall, who has toured with Ian Prowse & Amsterdam, Magna Carta, and The Hall Brothers.
The duo opened their set with the powerful ‘Crystal Ball’ that featured on their third and most recent album, the highly acclaimed “One Star Awake” that saw the light of day early last year, its release coinciding with their support slot on Fairport Convention’s New Year tour for 2024, (have you spotted the connection?). Sharing both vocal and guitar duties throughout, Hall regularly switched between acoustic and electric, while Plum stayed loyal to her chosen instrument.
With three albums to choose from, their set list offered an excellent representation from each, with their latest featuring heavily during the first half. Hall took lead vocals on both the enigmatic ‘Lost London Rivers’ and the achingly beautiful ‘That Further Shore’, adding some delightful, understated guitar playing on the latter, while their exquisite harmonies on the hauntingly hypnotic ‘Silent Voices’ were simply spellbinding. Their debut album ‘Thundercloud’, which had displayed a distinct americana flavour, was also suitably represented with the title track again featuring the duo’s intrinsic vocal interplay, while the impassioned ‘Exit From The Light’ proved particularly popular with the locals. Not to be outdone, Plum’s distinctive voice shone through on the infectious ‘City Starlings’, a song that, like the poignant ‘A Darkness That Won’t Leave The House’, first appeared on the duo’s sophomore album “The Ghost Of Noise”.
On stage, the chemistry between the duo typified their status as a married couple, with cheeky one-liners met with a mix of raised eyebrows and knowing smiles, much to the amusement of the audience. Hall’s performance exuded a level of pent-up energy, as if, by his own admission, an inner Bruce Springsteen was desperate to burst out, while Plum’s delivery was one of more sagacious control.
The seventy-five-minute set was brought to a close by three of the duo’s most popular tracks, with ‘Closing Down’, an original song written for the 2018 film “The Runaways” by filmmaker Richard Heap, that perfectly captures Plum’s exquisite and empathetic vocals, literally holding the audience in her hand throughout. Clearly, one of the highlight moments of the festival. This was followed by the title track from last year’s release before they returned to their debut album for a wonderfully atmospheric rendition of ‘Uniondale’, leaving the stage on a high and the audience baying for more, hoping it won’t be so long before they find their way back to the Town Hall.
Opening proceedings at this year’s garden festival was Holly Taymar, a singer-songwriter from York, making what I believe was her first visit to the Town Hall. A seasoned professional, Taymar has collaborated with many talented musicians across the various genres, including being one half of the duo The Bronze, with husband Chris Bilton, that is currently on hiatus as they concentrate on raising their daughter. Hailed by the legendary Tom Robinson on BBC 6Music as a “hidden gem”, as well as garnering much airplay on BBC Radio 2, Taymar has to date released one solo album entitled “The Making Of Me” released in 2022 and shares her skills as a songwriter with those facing difficult times as part of her role with the charity ‘The Swan Song Project’.
Taymar’s set for the festival was solely based around the recording career of the much-missed and unique vocalist Eva Cassidy. However, any thoughts that this was merely a tribute act were quickly dismissed once she began to sing. True, all the songs performed were covers that Cassidy herself had recorded, but that was where the similarities ended, as Taymar’s delightful voice quickly took centre stage, putting her own stamp on a selection of well-known songs that spanned the genres of popular music. Opening with two all-time classics in ‘Songbird’ and ‘Fields Of Gold’, Taymar managed to find the sweet spot between the original and Cassidy’s version, breathing a new sense of life into these renowned numbers. Expertly accompanying herself on guitar, and using some intricate chord changes to embellish the arrangements, Taymar kept the audience captivated throughout, while her versions of Bill Withers’ ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, along with the jazz standard ‘Autumn Leaves’ were truly stunning, so much so that for a while any thoughts of Cassidy had quite simply been forgotten. Of course, the show wouldn’t have been complete without a rendition of ‘Over The Rainbow’ and here Taymar defered from straying too far from Cassidy’s iconic version, staying true to its exquisite phrasing and timing, whilst matching the emotion and fragility that Cassidy had brought to this classic song.
Leaving the stage to generous applause from a very appreciative audience, Taymar had clearly left a lasting impression, proving herself to be a highly accomplished singer and guitarist who most definitely deserves a wider audience.
