Foolhardy Folk Festival – Nottingham – Live review
Towards the end of the original lockdown, the ever creative music industry sought ways to bring people back together to experience the unparalleled joy of live music. The Arboretum in Nottingham hosted a number of events including a couple of shows from folk favourite Frank Turner.
That is where the story of the Foolhardy Folk Festival begins as the man behind the festival, fellow folk icon Beans On Toast played in support of Turner. From there on Beans has affectionately taken over and curated his own festival which this year is a complete sell out.
A large part of this is the stunning line-up put on but another is the fantastic sense of community that exists in this portion of the folk scene and the lovely audience that has taken this back to basics event to heart.
Opening his own event Beans On Toast highlights the great music, great food and great beer theme. On the music front Beans serenades the already full venue with the likes of âMajor Oakâ, âThe War on Warâ and âHumansâ as the festival gets into full swing.
The festival is family friendly and this is punctuated by the vibe created by attendees in that we are all family. Beans own daughter lays on kids activites, there is live art and lots of merch offer as well but with short changeovers the attention is mainly on the one stage where both Vona Vella and Tensheds play delightful early sets.
Soon enough itâs time for our special guest to take to the stage and this year that means Frank Turner himself as he returns the favour three years on from that socially distanced affair.
As youâd expect Turner gets a heroâs welcome as he begins his set with âBe More Kindâ and âThe Ballad of Me and My Friendsâ. The crowd’s singing voices are in fine fettle which is a good thing considering the sing-a-longs continue through to final song âI Still Believeâ.
Another beautiful thing about this community is the lack of ego on show, Turner as always appearing eternally grateful for the opportunity to play. The same can be said for your next three acts Truckstop Honeymoon, Ferris & Sylvester and Jeffery Lewis & The Voltage. All three acts are given equally as passionate reactions from the audience who can clearly appreciate beautiful music.
Considering weâve brought our two little monsters with us another great thing about Foolhardy Folk Festival is that the music is wrapped up by 9pm! But before then we still have two highly anticipated performances.
First up are the always joyous Skinny Lister who bring their traditional party atmosphere to the festival. Perhaps more so than any other set today, the Lister crew get the fans up and dancing to the likes of âCathyâ, âThis Is Warâ and âTrouble on Oxford Streetâ. The band are surely now established as one of the best live acts in the UK and with a new album and tour on the horizon, there will thankfully be lots of opportunities to catch them again in the near future!
Finally the event ends just as it began⊠with our gracious host Beans On Toast! With backing band in tow this time around the show feels different and special as our headline performance. Kicking off with âLifeâ and âNot Everybody Thinks Weâre Doomedâ the set is an uplifting celebration of our existence and is the perfect way to end a wonderful day.
The cutest cameo from Beans daughter, new material and old favourites ensure that despite having to follow some sensational artists, Beans On Toast is able to send the crowd into the night reminiscing about a beautiful day, many including our kids still singing the chorus of âOn & Onâ!
With another edition already announced for next August, the Foolhardy Folk Festival has quickly established itself as a must attend date on the folk calendar. This is of course a credit to Beans On Toast, but also to everyone involved behind the scenes and of course the fan community that makes the event so special.
Up next are Skindred who also have a new album, ‘Smile’, on the way August 4th.
This week saw the group reveal a new autumn tour which will see the band joined by Blackgold.
Regarding the tour drummer Arya Goggin says, âThere is a lot to Smile about when it comes to this TOUR! We are taking out an amazing new band called BlackGold too. They are bringing âNu Metalâ back and I think âDred fans will love them. Go check âem out!â
The Cult have announced three special summer shows in Cardiff, Halifax and Scarborough alongside a full EU Tour.
Accompanying the tour announcement is the release of The Cultâs fiery, expressionistic new video for âVendetta Xâ, the third single from ‘Under The Midnight Sun’.
The Cult – ‘Vendetta X’
As The Cult return to the stage to launch the next chapter of ‘Under The Midnight Sun’, Ian Astbury hopes that the albumâs new dimensions provoke reactions both primal and sublime in listenersâ consciousness – echoing what he himself experienced during its creation.
âAt the core of it all, music contains the vibrational frequency of how we once communicated before we could even speak,â Astbury says. âBird songs, animal calls, string theory, quantum physics, psychedelics⊠The record ultimately becomes about discovering and celebrating anew the beauty from those strangely natural moments that surround and inspire us.â
The final tour announcement in our News Report this week comes from The Winery Dogs who have added October dates to their already announced June shows.
We move our News Report on now to the best festival announcements of the past week and up first is the Beans On Toast curated Foolhardy Folk Festival in Nottingham.
Joining Beans this year will be acts including Skinny Lister, Ferris & Sylvester, Truckstop Honeymoon, Tensheds and more!
Our other festival announcement comes from 110 Above presents OTHR Festival!
The slightly scaled back version of 110 Above will feature Circa Waves, Jack Garratt, Twin Atlantic, Black Honey, Lauran Hibberd, Fatherson, King No-One, Coach Party, Courting, Chappaqua Wrestling and many more.
We move on now to the best new releases from the past week and up first are When Rivers Meet you have shared their brand new single, ‘Play My Game’.
You can listen to the track above, which will feature on upcoming new album, ‘Aces Are High’, which arrives late summer.
Regarding the forthcoming album the duo say, âAs our music is progressing, weâre finding our sound even more. When we went in the studio this time, weâve never been so sure on what we wanted to createâwe had a really clear vision and have stuck to it.   âBefore we held back on being too rocky, but this time we allowed ourselves to create what we wanted to hear, without restricting ourselves. We also allowed ourselves to express the different colours to our music with tracks like âGoldenâ and âBy Your Sideâ, so this album has more extremes. We still call upon our influences from all the years but remain true to ourselves to create music we love.â
The new releases’ continue at pace in our News Report and next up is ‘The Raven’, the latest track from Black Orchid Empire, which you can listen to above.
The track comes from their upcoming album, ‘Tempus Veritas’, which will arrive on April 14th.
A new project next as our News Report brings you How We End. Featuring Jen Majura (Ex-Evanescence) on guitar and Diva Satanica (Ex-Nervosa) on vocals, How We End promises to be an exciting new chapter.
Rounding out the group are Jake E (Cyhra, Ex-Amaranthe) on vocals, Tom Naumann (Primal Fear) on guitar, Mitch Kunz (bass) and Adde Larsson (drums).
This week saw the group arrive with their single, ‘My Fighting Heart’, which you can check out above.
Dead Man’s Whiskey have this week shared their latest single, ‘Masquerade’, which you can check out above!
The single is the first track to be taken from a forthcoming new studio album, ‘In The Storm’, due out September 29th.
Vocalist Nico Rogers says, â’This song has been a bit of a journey for us. In its earliest form we’ve had this song for a couple of years, although it’s grown a lot.
It’s brimming with a kind of dissatisfied energy we all had while we wrote it, in a way I think a lot of people will feel too. It’s a rallying cry against what’s happened to music right now, the three ringed circus of algorithmically generated hits that keep turning up. We know how far we are from those perfect cookie cutter artists and this song is about that dichotomy. We don’t want to conform, we make the music we love. Â I think that shows in the sound too, not just on this track, but on the album as a whole. It’s heavier, darker. Like we got a little older, found a new gear, and now we’re going full throttle in it.â
Norwegian metalcore act Fixation are now gearing up for their debut album with the release of a brand new single ‘Ignore the Disarray’.
About the new track the band states: âThis song is about those with a desire to control other people. It’s not about religion itself, but about those who use religion or their perception of reality to justify oppression, hate and control.âÂ
DEADLETTER – ‘The Snitching Hour’
DEADLETTERÂ share new single âThe Snitching Hourâ.
Lead singer Zac Lawrence comments: “Are we slowly but surely being tacitly tempted into a culture of casual betrayal? The messages we are fed, on the outside, might be read as being solely in the interest of public safety – but take a closer look, and perhaps thereâs a more insidious undertone to it all⊔
The Throwaway Scene – ‘Fake Death’
Sheffield emo rock outfit, The Throwaway Scene have released their brand new single âFake Deathâ.
âThis track is a slight departure from my previous lyrical stylings/choices with a view of exploring narrative that was less self-centered. I think vocally it just âfeelsâ different too âcos the delivery of the lines is a lot more direct than before. Due to lifeâs unfortunate timing we were recording vocals on the day we found out a family member had passed so Fake Death will always be quite a personal song.â – Vocalist, Oliver.
You know that gig season is in full effect when you head along to a Frank Turner show. Yes, the man that is always on tour is on his rearranged âNever Ending Tour of Everywhereâ. Tonight that means the Junction in Cambridge and another sold out show.
Itâs almost a guarantee at a Turner show that youâll be greeted by some fantastic support acts and this tour is certainly no different. Up first are Truckstop Honeymoon who serenade the crowd with their entertaining bluegrass folk sound, and their whimsical quips! The duo will be picking up many new fans on this tour as they introduce themselves properly to the UK.
The main support act on this tour is non-other than Pet Needs, who have featured on both our âDiscoverâ New Music and Full Pelt Music Podcasts. The band are intrinsically linked to Mr. Turner at the moment. He has produced both their albums and taken them on tour around the world. That said, it really feels like the band are breaking out and solidifying their own name.
Shows like tonight will go a long way towards that and itâs telling the amount of Pet Needs merchandise on display in the audience. Early fan favourites such as âTracey Eminâs Bedâ and âKayakâ intermix with new songs âIbiza In Winterâ and âFear for the Whole Damn Worldâ as the band showcase their enormous potential.
Closing their generous time on stage with âOvercompensatingâ, âToothpasteâ and âGet On the Roofâ, anybody not yet alert to Pet Needs now surely are. The crowd give the band a huge ovation as they depart ready to continue to plot for world domination.
The audience is hot tonight and as Frank Turner takes to the stage the atmosphere is palpable. Imagine then the reaction as Turner bursts straight into a run of âFour Simple Wordsâ, âThe Gatheringâ, âPhotosynthesisâ, âPunchesâ and â1933â â hardly time for band or audience to breathe!
Turnerâs latest album, âFTHCâ, is a punk record and that ethos is certainly captured on this tour. Thankfully for Turner his audience are open to this change in pace and band and crowd are one tonight making this a great Friday night out.
Frank Turner is known to take particular care over his setlists and tonight is a typical career spanning affair with fan favourites, deep cuts and new tracks all on offer. Highlights tonight include âA Wave Across A Bayâ, âBe More Kindâ and âNon Serviamâ.
At this point you know what you are going to get from a Turner show, and thatâs an amazing time. Realistically that makes him a very difficult person to review, his consistency and endurance are unrivalled and you never really get a misstep.
Tonight the show climaxes with an encore of âI Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famousâ, âRecoveryâ, âTry This At Homeâ and âI Still Believeâ, which drains every remaining drop of energy out of the venue. Donât take Turner for granted, get down to a show and have a great night!
Welcome to another edition of our weekly music News Report. This week we are starting off with the latest festival news, and first up is All Points East in London.
The Victoria Park event this week added new acts to the Gorillaz headlined day on Friday 19th August. Heading up the latest additions are Turnstile who join the likes of IDLES and Self Esteem and a packed bill.
RISEFEST has this week revealed their line-up for the Saturday 10th September event. Headliners Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes will be joined by VUKOVI, WSTR, Zand and many more.
On to the latest tour announcements now in our News Report and it was a big news week for The Subways. The band will be hitting the road later this year including a date at the Electric Ballroom in Camden.
Not only that, the band also debuted new single, ‘You Kill My Cool’, which will feature on their upcoming new album. Listen to the track below.
Puppy this week debuted the latest single from their upcoming album, ‘Pure Evil’. You can listen to ‘My Offer’ above, ahead of the album release on May 6th.
Australian pop punk duo 3REE have released their brand new single âSet This Place On Fireâ, featuring guest vocals from Sleeping With Sirens frontman Kellin Quinn.
âWeâre living our childhood dream!â, 3REE say about their collaboration with Kellin. âIt was amazing to collaborate with such an idol of ours.â  Continuing about how the collaboration came about 3REE drummer Sean Tighe explains, âWhen we were writing the song, we could hear Kellinâs voice as a perfect fit with Mitchâs. I simply messaged Kellin the song and asked if heâd be interested and how wonderful it would be. Kellinâs response was fantastic, saying âWOW! This song is a bangerâ and âI can track my vocals by the end of the weekâ. We had to pinch ourselves.â  About the meaning of the song 3REE vocalist and guitarist Mitch Volcan says, âWe built the song around the lyric âWhen the fire burns out we all come aliveâ; writing with the aim of connecting with the listener with the sense of rawness, energy and togetherness that you face during dark times.âÂ
‘PARIS WILL BE PAID FOR’ – ANORAK PATCH
With debut EP ‘By Cousin Sam’ out at the end of this month, teenagers Anorak Patch have shared new single âParis Will Be Paid Forâ.
On the new single, guitarist Oscar said, âParis will be paid for is a song of ours which combines pop hooks and more off kilter music. It’s at a constant tempo however it changes time signatures multiple times throughout the song. It makes it wonky and the more melodic parts can sort of too because of that.â
He adds, âThe lyrics, like the music itself, are absurd and silly. Nothing is taken too seriously and is all very tongue in cheek and a joke. We find lyrics don’t often have to be about much, as long as the syllables fit and there’s a nice melody.â
‘TENNIS’ – COURTING
Liverpool four-piece Courting have returned with a new single titled ‘Tennis’.
Speaking about the single, the band says, “Tennis is a paypigâs personal redemption narrative, set in âthe cityâ, and told in two parts. A twisted tale of two loversâ back and forth, bound by cricket, bodybuilding, and money. A story as old as time.
We named the song Tennis as a logical (but unrelated) sequel to our two previously released sports-related songs. To us, this felt like a natural ending to that idea. Dynamically, the second part of the song is supposed to represent a shift in tone for the character in which they realise their own worth and leave the situation that is set within the first part of the song.”
