Vancouver Folk Festival

Vancouver Folk Festival (Jericho Beach, Vancouver)

Bedevilled by intermittent bad weather and a six-figure debt, the Vancouver Folk Festival nevertheless proved to be one of the most interesting gatherings I’ve attended in quite some time. Its policy of featuring a heavy concentration of both local and world music acts has drawn quite a bit of criticism, but things, we are told, are changing, and the accent from next year, it seems, will be more heavily balanced towards the commercial end of the scale.

That observation notwithstanding, there was some very fine music on offer over the festivals three days, with workshops in various instruments, techniques and cultures running from early morning, alongside the more formal evening concerts. To namecheck all of those who impressed would require a virtual reprint of the weekend’s programme, but there were memorable moments aplenty.

Sets by The Rowan Brothers and Quartette, a fabulous women’s band from Canada (I went out and bought the album straightaway) were among the weekend’s highlights, while the prize for the most energetic performance might just go to the African outfit Black Umfolosi. The Austin Lounge Lizards – pisstake bluegrass merchants – were brilliant (‘Jesus Loves Me But He Can’t Stand You’ is a natural for somebody like Gino from Four Men And A Dog) and could, if they work at it, maybe make a living out of music!

Of the local acts, The Plankerdown Band and Pamela Morgan, both from the Maritimes, were the ones I’ll remember most fondly – the Plankerdowns are an outfit not unlike Steeleye in some respects, while Morgan is a fine singer-songwriter with a neat line in social commentary, but my strongest non-musical memories will be of the glorious festival site – perhaps the best location for an outdoor gig I’ve ever seen, and the care and special effort expended through every aspect of the organisation on those who were disabled. Whatever about its debit financial balance, the Vancouver Folk Festival is streets ahead in its treatment of those on the margins.

What’s more, the music was great, the weather OK (bar Sunday evening when I got soaked through), the people very friendly, and it goes without saying that Vancouver ‘95 is already pencilled in to next year’s diary.

• Oliver P. Sweeney