Climbing up the slightly off-kilter stairs of the Crown Hotel, I couldn’t help but feel that this quirky setting was the perfect venue for an evening of folk.
Seats were already filling up as I made my way into the impressive 16th century ballroom, and I found myself perched on a unit that (thankfully) housed the heating.
With little knowledge of Frazey Ford, I’d been unsure what to expect of the evening.
It seemed obvious, however, that her fan-base was out in full force.
First, we were introduced to The Little Unsaid, Ford’s support act and the brainchild of Yorkshire-born John Elliott.
With piercing blue eyes and a quiet demeanour, it was all too easy to underestimate Elliot when he took the stage.
Within seconds, my misconceptions were blown out of the water, as his voice filled the room. A voice so big, you wonder where it came from.
Singing of fear and love and loneliness, you can’t help but be taken in by his intensity. Between songs he is a little breathless – it’s a performance that takes energy.
His act worked on two levels. Put aside the vocals and you’re left with poetry that conjures up Elliot – a fine fit for this particular festival.
Elliot, who played Glastonbury this year and has received frequent airtime on BBC Radio 6, is the kind of act you want to tell your friends about.
As he prepared for his final song, he chirpily told us that he was going to ‘leave [us] with a song about the hopelessness of all things’.
Fortunately, by this point he’d quite evidently won the crowd over. He left the stage to rapturous applause.
Time for Ford, and the anticipation was palpable. This was one of just three UK gigs for the singer – a real coup for the festival organisers.
Adorned in sparkles and singing of everything from politics to Aretha Franklin, Ford doesn’t so much demand attention as command it.
“I was a firecracker” she sings, and it’s this fierce confidence that makes for an impressive performance.
Ford’s songs are, above all else, honest.
Whether she’s singing about her parents or destructive relationships, each feels like a confession.
The set, which includes homage to Bob Dylan, spans genres, from folk to gospel.
It’s a testament to her skill as a performer that none of them feel out of place.
The gig provided a superb start to what promises to be a diverse and captivating week of not only entertainment, but of reflection.
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