The Long Road Festival at Stanford Hall, Lutterworth, is a long-standing favourite, spanning the breadth of country and Americana – and beyond! After such a long hot summer, it seemed inevitable that the August bank holiday weekend would be a tad (well rather more than that!) affected by rain, but it took more than this to dampen the spirits of those attending. The Americana UK team of David Jarman, Nick Barber and Craig Fee braved the weather and enjoyed a spectacular weekend of live music, made poignant, of course, by following so soon after the sad passing of Dolly Parton.
Nonetheless, it would be remiss not to mention a few glitches along the way – the major rain interruption on Friday led to a complete shutdown of the Festival for an hour or more, and problems relating to the marquee at the Buddy’s stage on Saturday led to this being closed for some hours, with the rescheduling to other stages not well communicated.
The Front Porch stage was my starter, on Friday, with opening act Sweet Thieves, a female duo from West London, on piano and guitars, who impressed with fine vocal harmonies, and some dark chords hinting at early Joan Baez.
Next up on the Front Porch was Mia Kelly, hailing from Quebec, Canada. Boasting a powerful, bluesy delivery and an engaging stage presence, highlights of her set included Holy Grail/Big Magic, inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic. Another song was inspired by her best friend moaning about her dad (dis chat!), who then discovers to her embarrassment that it is about him.
We learned that she has represented the French-speaking part of Canada at the Francophone Games in the Democratic Republic of Congo (who knew—the wonder of festivals), and she regales us with the story of the grumpiest man she had ever met, a British guy who had progressed from the prison to the Navy, and who she met working at a food truck – the song called None Of Us Make It Out Alive.
With her guitar work enhanced by foot stomp and tambourine, an act to listen out for.
Nick Barber caught Bobby Dove on the Front Porch, writing, “Good to see her at last – the addition of pedal steel really helped her songs, as she’s a basic strummer on guitar. Would be great to see her with a full band, but I might have to go to Canada for that…”
Steve Earle’s early evening appearance on the main Rhinestone stage was eagerly anticipated, and he didn’t disappoint. The audience were treated to a classic greatest hits set, with some classic anecdotes of his life in music and on the road.
Highlights included Guitar Town, The Devil‘s Right Hand, and My Old Friend The Blues. Taking up his mandolin to play Copperhead Road, he exclaimed that “my ex-wives love that song“, and told us when asked whether he was tired of singing that song – of course not!
Famously married seven times, including twice to the same woman, it is no surprise to find his ex-wives, and other women in his life, have inspired his music – he tells us that “some girls are better than others for songs”, and in an interlude between songs “same girl, different harmonica”.
“(Can’t Remember If We Said) Goodbye“ is a personal favourite, delivered sensitively, and a special treat followed – telling us about his co-write with Zandi Holup; she joined him on stage to sing “I’m Not Missing Anything But You“.
Originally from Texas, he introduces Hometown Blues by telling us of the joys of hitchhiking – no blondes in convertibles! – and how he turns up in town only to be arrested, and bailed out of jail by his father.
Introducing Galway Girl with the comment “Everyone in Ireland hates me for this song”, it’s a classic set closer – and it’s clear that he has won over new fans, as well as delighting longtime listeners.
Finally, a real treat to close the Front Porch stage on Friday night – Muireann Bradley, the fingerstyle blues and ragtime guitarist, from Ireland’s County Donegal. Renowned for her virtuoso guitar work, she turns out to have a big, powerful vocal too, and delighted the late-night crowd, with songs including Candy Man, Going Back Home, Diddy Wa Diddy, and Mississippi John Hurt’s Ain’t No Tellin’.
As saddened as we all were by the passing of Dolly Parton, she performed a delightful fingerpicking version of Jolene before finishing her set with the classic murder ballad Frankie and Johnny, The Levee Is Gonna Break, and an original, Dancing On My Grave.
A wet start to the second day of the Festival was no deterrent to a packed ground for the Rhinestone stage debut of First Time Flyers – and they produced a crowd-pleasing set, full of energy from the twin lead vocalists Poppy Fardell and Vicki Manser putting on eye-catching dance routines, to the band’s anthemic numbers. With Tim Prottey-Jones, interviewed in our Festival Preview, and Jake Morrell providing fine harmony vocals and rhythm and bass guitar backing, respectively.
Highlights of their set included Stay, Just Friends, Trouble, and their latest single, Coming Home.
Over at the Interstate stage, Zandi Holup charmed her packed audience with her characterful, vulnerable vocals on guitar accompanied by a fine fiddle player. Gas Station Flowers typified her personal but all too relatable songs: “I’ll take you drunk, I’ll take you stoned/ I’ll take you back long as you come home/ I’d rather go through hell than let you go/ ‘Cause those gas station flowers are better than being alone.”
Nick Barber was at the Interstate stage to see Susto String Band – “I’ve seen Susto in his “normal” iteration, and it’s a testament to the strength of his songwriting that his songs (old and new) work well in whatever musical framework they’re put in. He’s got a good ear for a tune and rhythm. That helps with an audience unfamiliar with his songs – he got a good reaction in the Interstate as a result.”
Brennen Leigh was at the top of my “must-see” list, and her set on the Front Porch was a masterclass in songwriting, performance, and stagecraft. With rather too much sound bleed from the main stage, she apologised for drowning it out with her own set! Her songs have her droll outlook on life front and centre, and her lineup with her husband and producer Kevin Skrla on guitar and steel guitar was supplemented by a Norwegian rhythm section – of upright bass and percussionist playing just snare and hi-hat. Leigh jokingly told her audience that the band was approximately 65% Norwegian – reflecting her own roots as well as her collaborators on stage.
Her wry look at the world of love always features in her sets – with titles like Tell Him I’m Dead and Dumpster Diving (“cause baby, you like trash!”). However, there is still room for hope with Don’t You Ever Give Up On Love, from her album of the same name, and Billy and Beau, an ode to the love that can be found in friendship. Add to this her tribute to her dad and his tractor, John Deere H, and her homage to western swing. If Tommy Duncan‘s Voice Was Booze (“I’d stay drunk all the time”), from her album recorded with Asleep at the Wheel, Obsessed With The West, and you have a representative sample of what makes her such a well-regarded figure on the “old-time country with a quirky twist“ scene.
Unfortunately, disruption to the programme from heavy rain was followed by a serious problem at the Buddy’s stage. Nick was there to catch the first part of the set by Sarah Jane Scouten, part of the Loose Music takeover, reporting “she only managed four and a half songs before Buddy’s was shut down – classic country voice and the addition of CJ Hillman on pedal steel always complements her voice and songs. Just a shame that her set got cut short – as did her attempt to play acoustically on a table outside…”
But he did catch the set before, featuring Horsebath – “third time I’ve seen them, and they haven’t disappointed yet. They manage to be more than the sum of their influences. They have proper songs and proper tunes, and they are immaculate players. Not very visual (they just stand there and play), other than being eye-candy for younger audience members, though?” And before their set, he found the Slow Motion Cowboys to be ”good time, competent bluesy country rock – well received but few standout tunes.”
With the stage not reopening until late into the night, sets by Dylan Earl and The Hanging Stars, also on my must-see list, went by the by, as poor on-site communication meant no notice of rescheduling their sets for later that evening. Next time…
Meanwhile, at the Front Porch, Nick reports that “Ken Pomeroy – my highlight of the festival – literate, witty, gentle and gorgeously laid back and intimate songs. She kept the Front Porch stage entranced – it would have been silent, except for the bl**dy main stage row in the background.”
And so to the Rhinestone stage, for the closing set featuring Ronnie Wood and his band, with featured vocalists Imelda May and Chanel Haynes. The rain was falling once more, as Ronnie Wood and his band launched into a set of old favourites from his long career, opening with the Stones’ It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll, before a cover of Chain of Fools, written by Don Covay and first released by Aretha Franklin, followed by Falling, from his Faces days. Hank Williams’s Your Cheatin’ Heart was a nod to the country and Americana roots of the festival, before Imelda May joined Wood’s band with a fine rendition of the Shangri-La’s Remember (Walking In The Sand).
Chuck Berry‘s Wee Wee Hours was the cue for some tasty slow blues, before Wood delved into the Rolling Stones country oeuvre with Dead Flowers, from 1971’s Sticky Fingers.
Ooh La La marked a return to the Faces era of Wood’s back catalogue, before vocalist Chanel Haynes performed a stunning take on I Will Always Love You, becoming a giant sing-a-long tribute to Dolly.
Finishing the night off with the Faces’ Stay With Me and Dolly’s 9 to 5, Wood demonstrated that he can still do it!
The weather forecast for Sunday promised more rain, but in the event it stayed dry, and generous application of straw meant the muddiest thoroughfares were easily negotiated.
Kicking off the day on the Interstate stage, Errol Linton had long been on my list of artists I’d somehow never managed to catch – British blues harmonica and vocals legend, with Jamaican roots. He and his band switched effortlessly from swing blues to funk, to reggae overtones, producing definitely the best “boogie to the music“ set of the weekend, at least in my own presence – winning a new audience for his music.
Craig Fee caught Riley Downing, and writes, “Riley Downing was very at home on The Front Porch, with a standout song being “Porch Song” from his new album, “Landfill Poetry”, with him flying to England on release day, which was the Friday of the festival. The song was very reflective of the vibe of his performance: sat down, sunglasses on and looking very much at home and perfect for a final-day wind-down. His only performance in the UK on this trip. He played a few hours later on the VIP stage.”
“Downing had had guitar issues prior to the performance, leaving his guitar unplayable. Sarah Jane Scouten lent her guitar to him for the performance. Sarah Jane Scouten’s set had been cut short due to weather earlier in the festival. Therefore, to pay back the loan of the guitar, Downing cut his set short in order to give her his final two songs. Another standout track of Downing’s was Helen and Gene, one of the most notable standout tracks on his new album”.
Emily Scott Robinson, appearing on the Interstate stage, had been strongly recommended to me, and she lived up to, indeed exceeded, the pre-show write-up. A fantastic voice, rooted in old-time country but with a contemporary edge, she was also the songwriter who stood out most over the course of the weekend, in a very talented field. Cast Iron Heart, she told us, was a wedding song for people getting married for the second time– the title coming from a writing session, with the original inspiration of cast iron stomach replaced with a bolder, more emotional direction, the song telling of simultaneously grieving the end of a marriage and falling in love again.
Her grandmother, we learnt, had a very hard life, but ended her days with dementia, allowing her to slip back to her happier youthful days, back at high school, in her last years. Time Traveller was perhaps my favourite new song of the weekend, telling a highly relatable story with beautiful imagery and emotion.
Dirtbag Saloon was her homage to the type of old-school quirky hole-in-the-wall American bar, gradually getting squeezed out, the sort of places which will never make guidebooks, but are much loved by their patrons. An old-time waltz, Scott Robinson sings “Linda’s is open on Fridays, and Christmas/ She lives in the back, it’s a cash-only business/ She charges for singles but pours you a double/ Everyone drinks here, and no one makes trouble.”
With a few minutes to spare, I drop in at Buddy’s, intending to catch maybe 10 minutes of Rosalie Cunningham and her band, a new name to me. One number is enough to convince me I’m not moving on till the end of her set – which she announces as “probably the least country act you’ll hear all weekend“. Well, that was certainly true – the best description I could come up with is contemporary prog rock, with a hard rock edge – with great stage presence from Cunningham herself.
A very fine guitarist in her own right, her vocals summon up Jefferson Aeroplane’s Grace Slick, while the drummer in her band works five times as hard as any other over the weekend, with multiple changes of tempo, time signature, and intensity. An emotional set for the band too, as it was their keyboard/synth player’s last gig, the band joining the aforesaid Emily Scott Robinson as my two favourite new acts of the weekend.
As a result, I was only able to catch a few minutes of Jim Lauderdale on the Front Porch stage, but he was in good voice, solo on acoustic guitar, with his audience paying rapt attention, a tribute to his enduring troubadour presence.
A short set by Lizzie No, on the VIP stage, was a pleasing bonus; her emotional songs, delivered on acoustic guitar and harp, perfectly suited to the intimate setting.
Craig Fee was at the Interstate stage to see the Felice Brothers, and “they had a huge impact as usual. The set, as expected, was not a greatest hits. As a band that is always evolving and adapting, they delivered a set that was a combination of upbeat and low-key, with Ian and James sharing the heading up of the songs. A band with multiple members who can be lead men. They can always deliver a song and make it resonate with you, even if it’s the first time you have heard it, with unique storytelling. Two tracks the crowd definitely knew were “Life in the Dark” and “Jazz on the Autobahn”.
“Emmylou Harris took to the main stage 15 minutes before the end of Felice Brothers’ set; the crowd dissipated in the second half, but the hardcore Felice fans stuck around and made sure that they made up in volume for the people who had left to see a legend on her final tour”.
Moving to the Rhinestone stage, he writes that “Emmylou Harris’ set was very atmospheric. The sun was setting on the final day, and gave a poignant feel. “Red Dirt Girl” was an obvious stand-out song to a very attentive audience. A massive stage, but an intimate show feeling. An acapella song from all the band harmonising was also a memorable part of the occasion”.
To which I’d add that her rendition of (Can’t Remember If We Said) Goodbye was a personal highlight, her unique vocal tone shining through, together with When We’re Gone, Long Gone, recorded with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, her personal tribute to Dolly.
So—a worthy end to a great weekend of Americana and country, with some unexpected added bonuses, all enjoyed despite the unfriendly weather!
Individual live act reviews are by David Jarman, unless credited to Nick or Craig.
