Wolvestock 2012

[PeterJD]

Had a great old time at Wolvestock this year and got in touch to see what the dates are for 2012, and had a response. 21st and 22nd of July. Couldnt tell me if it was still free and no information regarding acts as of yet.

[PeterJD]

Up Country had an ad for this festival and the line up seems pretty strong.

21st July.

Diablos Country Band
Toy Hearts Band
Brian Hughes and The Lonesharks
Katie Jane and The Smokin Barrels
Texas Tornados

22nd July

Henry Smith's Country Dreams
John Taylor Band
Pig Earth
Dee D and The James Gang
Rebel Creek

Unspecified Day

2 Card Trick
The MacCalls
Paul Taylor
Marissa D'Amarto
Travelling Rose
Paul Bailey
Donna Wylde
MT Allan
Richard Palmer
Kickin Country

Plus the Roots and Branches Acoustic Stage.

Its free but camping is £20 and parking £6. Definitely going to be going as it was so enjoyable last year and with a few very strong acts, it makes it too good to miss.

[garyjpquinn]

Really looking forward to playing this years Wolvestock and thanks to Jim Duncan for having me on his Radio Show yesterday evening to discuss my music and the upcoming Fest!

I'll be playing the Roots and Branches Acoustic Stage on Sunday 22nd in the afternoon. Some great acts on all stages over the 2 days and its FREE entry!

Hope to meet some new faces then!

Gary Quinn
www.facebook.com/GaryQuinnMusic

[PeterJD]

Just got back from Wolverhampton. Its only around 25 minutes away from me so although we didnt need to camp, we did as we like camping

So the weekend, Wolvestock is held each year at East Park, and this is its 18th year, free to get in, and £20 if you want to camp. The tent camping area is nice and small, small enough to know the faces of all the people on the site. Behind the tent area is a much larger area for the camper vans and caravans. By the tent are are the portaloos, fairly clean considering the amount of use they get over the weekend.

Friday we get there at around 6pm, its already pretty full, I guess as people are travelling from all over the UK they will have got there earlier than us. Still plenty of room for us though and although its been raining constantly since 1987, its not waterlogged. We pitch by a chap from stoke, a different chap from stoke and a young welsh couple.

We head to the arena on the thursday and there is line dancing going on till 8, also the fun fair, but that is about it. It keeps us entertained, watching as we gave dancing a try but it wasnt for us. A few ciders and a couple of whiskeys and an early night.

Day 1 of the festival proper and with the first act on at midday, we head to the arena for around 11, its already knee deep in chairs without owners, people claiming their pitch with a foldaway chair. I hate this, but its one of them things I guess. Regardless we get a good spot to the left of the stage and soon the first at is on.

Gods Country are a live band from the black country, playing country rock covers. They are enthusiastic but they are poor unfortunately, both vocalists are really quite bad and not helped by bad sound which will blight a few acts over the weekend. They have a reasonable setlist, just let down by the vocalists.

Following them was a little line dancing, ooh People Are Crazy, I suspect I wont hear that too much over this weekend, ooh 123 by Ann Taylor, nice to hear once, unlikely to hear that again. Home To Louisiana, it will be a rare day before thats played again I am sure. This is of course me taking the piss as these three songs plus a handful more are all that are played in-between bands, and sometimes by bands. I love Billy Currington, I love people are crazy but for f---s sake, play some other things in between bands.

Next up were Texas Tornados and they are pretty good, they are a three piece so the drums come via either a backing track or the keyboard and the cider has clouded my memory a little but they may have done a mix of covers and original stuff, but the sound was a bit iffy again, but a very good performance and would go and see them again.

After Texas Tornados was dance teacher Rob Fowler teaching 2 step, this took twenty minutes and I still have quick quick slow slow ringing in my ears, yes Rob. This was dont to people are crazy, jesus.

After Rob Fowler was Canadian bluegrass band Gordie McKeeman and the Rhythm Boys. They were good at what they do and it was the first original band of the day, but they were a little out of place, they are a 4 piece, snare, double bass, fiddle player and guitarist from nova scotia, who would have been perfect for cambridge folk festival, or latitude or even end of the road, Wolvestock, hmmm, unsure. The fiddle player also tapped out a rhythm with tap shoes, which I have seen Tilly and the Wall do, but its pretty unique. They did a fair few instrumentals, but occasional vocals were provided by the upright bass player. They were ok.

My time was pretty much spent at the main stage, so although some good stuff was going on at the Up Country Stage and the Roots and Branches stage. My wife went by the latter when Pete Kennedy was on and she said he would be right up my street, I suspect because I am a sucker for a ballad, talking to other people though, he is more towards the irish side of things and therefore my wife knows jack ****.

After Gordie, a little more line dancing, you can guess what to.

Then we have one of the three acts that I have been looking forward to the most, Birmingham band The Toy Hearts, their new album Whiskey is at this point in the year my album of the year. I really have been looking forward to them, its one of the few acts I think my wife is likely to like. Oh dear. they were such a let down, they didnt play their strongest tracks in The Captain and title track of new album, Whiskey. They played a lot of Bob Wills covers, when in my opinion their original material is much better. The had the worst sound of the entire weekend and they desperately need a drummer as they were out of time on almost ever song, a huge disappointment.

Line dancing after them, by Grrowler, every time the compere said this we giggled like kids. Thats Bo Selecta for you.

Hopefully next act Brian Hughes and The Lonesharks can pull the disappointment back. He did, and I am not just saying this as he posts on here and is a ruddy nice bloke, but Brian was the standout of the weekend for me and for Lisa. tracks from all albums, all the ones I wanted to hear, and more, augmented by a great band, with the sound spot on and including a great cover of The Band's The Weight. Brian easily the best act thus far and the standout of the weekend.

The Diablos follow this and they were also excellent, really good and the only problem for me was that they didnt play the one track I wanted to hear, I can live with that as they were superb, very tight, very professional and I guess along with Brian the reason why these two are far up the bill. A great set and a great end to the evening.

8pm the entertainment finished, 8 oclock? crazy, so we ate, drank, listened to music back at the tent and pretty much had an early night.

Sunday and a similar tale regarding the chairs, it was packed on the saturday and more so on the sunday, its heaving and its hot so we set up our chairs at 11 and settle down.

Sunday opens with Lichfield band, Rebel Creek, they perform a mix of covers and original material and their original material is very strong, covers wise they do stuff like the eagles, they are great, really good and their selection of material is pretty inspired. I would definitely go see these gain.

Carrying on in the country rock vein is Gone Country, who open with a little Alan Jackson and they are a covers band but again great selection of material, really good, really strong set and I must say I really enjoyed these. 2 in a row playing really good music with great musicians. How can you follow this.

Yes Rob, Rob Fowler and a little 2 step, to people are crazy, people werent crazy, then they heard this song for the 50th time and went a little bat **** crazy.

Pig Earth follow these and on the whole they go down well, but yesterday we had Gordie, today we have Pig Earth, they arent bad, but they dont sit well in this line up and again they are a band more suited to Cambridge folk festival. They are ok though and they do get a warm enough reception, it is always nice to see bemused dancers scratching their heads and wondering what dance can fit to one of their tunes. Pig Earth are a pretty folk band, wouldnt say country in any broad description at all.

After Pig Earth, Dee D and The James Gang, she opens with Home To Louisiana and my wife demands that I go to the tesco express to stock up on depleted cider stocks, as I walk past the up country stage, the act on that stage is also doing home to louisiana, I see a pattern emerging. Before long I am back though and catch a considerable chunk of Dee D's set, its excellent, really good covers set, assisted by 2 other superb vocalists. I really enjoy her set. So far aside from pig earth, todays line up has all been excellent.

After Dee D, Henry Smiths Country Band, blimey he is good, possibly second only to Brian Hughes, his setlist is a covers one but its full of energy, excellent quality and musicianship and someone I would definitely go to see live again. Really enjoyed it.

Final band of the weekend follows Henry Smith and that is John Taylor Band, again, excellent and although the cider has made me sketchy with the details, it was covers, it was very good and well played.

At 8pm we are all done bar The Trilogy, dear god.I am all for a celebration of the american culture, thats part of the reason I like the music I like, but raising and saluting the flag, hmmm, it was a little weird for me, thats all.

And thats about that, it was a clean, well ran festival, good size, obvious problems with the sound aside I only really have one complaint and that came about at 7am this morning. woken up by the portaloos being taken away and told in no uncertain terms that no we could not use them, so no toilet facilities this morning on site at all for campers until they opened the parks public toilets later in the morning. Not good at all.

That small complaint aside, a great weekend, with great music, roll on next year, now where did I put the billy currington CD.

[kev]

Excellent Peter!! Thanks for that! Shame about The Toy Hearts: I've seen 'em a couple of times and always enjoyed it. Perhaps they sound better indoors!

[Smudger]

Good review Peter. Sounds like it was a great weekend despite some hitches. I've seen Brian Hughes, Henry Smith and the Diablos before and I agree - all different but all excellent entertainment. Wolvestock always seems to get a decent lineup - and it's free!

[confederate country]

Yes great weekend and what amazing weather Jim will claim he organised. Great event and looking forward to next year

[LoneShark]

Hi Peter

Thank you for your review of the weekend, it was glorious weather which made a huge difference.

Shame about the Toy Hearts as I am a big fan of them and likewise was looking forward to their set. Without making excuses, on speaking to the girls backstage after their performance, they said all they could hear was the constant thumping and loud rumbling noise emitting from the back to back stage where the line dancers were being entertained. I can confirm this although my band, being pretty full on, were not affected as much as the delicate sounds of the Toy Hearts, who unfortunately also suffered sound problems on stage with their equipment. I honestly think, their confidence to perform was shot by this time?

I hope you will be back next year as there is usually a high standard line up with this festival.

Good thoughts to you and your family

B

www.brianhughesmusic.com

[PeterJD]

I definitely will be back, and I think you are absolutely right about the toy hearts, I heard mumblings that they are moving the stages next year so that could improve things. I will be going to see them in a room though as I think it wasnt indicative of their capabilities.

[Frenchgate Magic]

At 8pm we are all done bar The Trilogy, dear god.I am all for a celebration of the american culture, thats part of the reason I like the music I like, but raising and saluting the flag, hmmm, it was a little weird for me, thats all.

that is totally unaxceptable,who DO THE AMERiKUNS think we brits are...STOOGES in their game ?

Salate the Mercian Regiment ("THE STAFFORDS") no one else !!!

[jcashGB]

I would love to see that!