Music festival was cool
A capacity crowd enjoyed a festival featuring the finest artists from around the world. It augers well for the forthcoming Shrewsbury Folk Festival, says Andy Richardson.
Cambridge Folk Festival
Words and pictures by Andy Richardson
The nation's foremost roots festival perpetually serves as a barometer for one of the highpoints in Shropshire's cultural calender.
Judging by Cambridge's four-day celebration of all things folk, which took place over the weekend, we're in for a treat when the Shrewsbury Folk Festival takes place at the end of this month.
The beauty of Cambridge, rather like Shrewsbury, is the diversity of the bill. This year's festival featured the finest in traditional folk, in the form of The Waterson Family, through to the best of bluesy funk, in the form of Booker T.
There was dynamic rock from Friday headliners The Zutons and hotter-than-chilli Tex Mex mash-up from Los Lobos. There was earthy, Americana from Sunday headliner Lucinda Williams and a breadth of Celtic roots from Paul Brady and Cara Dillon.
The generational divide was spanned as former comic Adrian Edmondson took to the stage with his band, The Bad Shepherds, while in another tent, his daughter performed a showcase.
The highlights were many. Edward II rocked the joint with their reggae-infused folk rock while festival stalwart Martin Simpson stole the show with stunning renditions of songs from his two latest albums, True Stories and Prodigal Son.
With the countdown now underway to Shrewsbury Folk, the prediction from our trust Cambridge barometer reads as follows: Hot, Hot, Hot.
