A NEW DAY FESTIVAL - MOUNT EPHRAIM GARDENS FAVERSHAM SUNDAY 18TH AUGUST 2024

I must confess I’m not someone who really knows Sandy Denny. I like what I’ve heard and don’t mind a bit of Fairport Convention but I’m certainly not a devotee. So I’m surprised to find from the moment the Sandy Denny Project’s Sally Barker opens her mouth to sing ‘Banks of the Nile’ I am utterly captivated. Marion Fleetwood is an equally gifted vocalist, and when the two ladies sing together, it is something to behold. The rest of the band provide additional harmonies, guitarist PJ Wright taking the lead for ‘Farewell, Farewell’, a song that requires, in his words, “an old guy”. The Project comprises six incredibly talented musicians who appear to relish their work - laughs and smiles abundant amidst the songs of “murder, infidelity, and stabbing” apparently necessary when recreating the work of Sandy Denny! Introducing ‘John the Gun’ as folk metal might be a bit of a stretch (Fleetwood endeavours to prove her metal credentials by pointing out a tattoo on the back on her neck!) but it’s certainly one of the heavier moments in a set that is predominantly elegant and never less than compelling.   

Having seen Band of Friends twice before at this very festival, I know they can always be relied upon to put on a great show. Perhaps unfair to describe the foursome as a tribute to Rory Gallagher since bassist Gerry McAvoy was, in fact, part of Gallagher’s band, it feels more of a celebration. McAvoy is small in stature, but big in charisma, psyching up the crowd with an encouraging wave of his arm and getting us to clap at every opportunity. I’m about as familiar with Rory Gallagher as I am with Sandy Denny (so not very!) but it’s wonderful to hear his work being recreated so passionately. I’m left feeling that this is an artist who requires further investigation, the strutting ‘Bad Penny’ and irresistible ‘Shadow Play’ are at the heavy end of the blues, rocking with real intent. 

In the enviable position of having so many hits that their set is pretty much entirely made up of them, Sweet feel like a band who could headline this event. Yes, Andy Scott is the only remaining original member (haircut unchanged since the 1970s) but that doesn’t diminish the utter joy of hearing the likes of ‘Action’, ‘Hellraiser’ and ‘Teenage Rampage’ at full volume. Frontman Paul Manzi (former singer for Cats in Space) has a great voice, as does bassist Lee Small, who really shows his prowess on ‘New York Groove’. In a brief deviation from the onslaught of hits (‘Wig Wam Bam’, ‘Little Willy’, ‘Love is Like Oxygen’), there’s mention of a new album on the way and we’re treated to a preview in the form of ‘Everything’. It’s hard to imagine many people rushing out to purchase a new Sweet album but on the strength of this performance, I’m tempted. Andy Scott is performing beneath a parasol, apparently a necessity due to his illness. He mentions in the latter half of the set that the heat is getting to him a bit, but soldiers on regardless, giving us the final rush of ‘Fox on the Run’, ‘Blockbuster’ and ‘Ballroom Blitz’, hitting those eccentric high notes like it’s nothing. No other band today generates as much singing or pure jubilation, the chants of “we want Sweet!” ringing very true. 

It’s no secret that I love Martin Turner. A genius bassist and songwriter (not to mention a style icon) who is forced to bill himself as ‘Ex-Wishbone Ash’, to my ears he is Wishbone Ash… But that’s possibly an argument for another time! Wisely plucking most of the set from the timeless ‘Argus’ album, Turner and his band sound as perfect as ever. ‘The King Will Come’ is, for me, one of the finest songs ever written, a towering work of classic rock par excellence; the twin guitar mastery of “harmony twinkle twins” Danny Willson and Misha Nikolic is quite startlingly beautiful.  

Feeder initially seem a strange choice of headliner, somewhat different to Tangerine Dream and Hawkwind who have taken the top spots on Friday and Saturday respectively. But apparently there is a place for some 90s Brit-rock at this generally prog leaning festival. A band I’ve always found inoffensive but never really troubled myself to get to know, I’m surprised by just how many songs I recognise. Opening with the anthemic ‘Feeling a Moment’, the band sound confident, assured and keep the energy up throughout their impressive set. Grant Nicholas’ voice is just as I remember from my youth, when Feeder videos were a fixture on music channels like Kerrang!. ‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’ and ‘Come Back Around’ are immediately familiar, whilst newer songs like ‘Elf’ and ‘Hey You’ suggest this band have more to offer than I possibly realised. Taka Hirose’s bass positively thunders beneath the surprisingly heavy ‘Playing with Fire’ and the jarring ‘Torpedo’ with its strange, off-beat riff. It’s hard to imagine anyone not getting excited by the final one-two punch of self-proclaimed pop song ‘Buck Rogers’ and the similarly bouncy ‘Just a Day’.  

A New Day Festival is about as perfect as a small festival gets, there’s a decent selection of food and drink, the toilets are plentiful and clean, the staff are friendly and helpful - one particularly lovely man noticing my mum struggling back to the car and letting us hitch a ride on his all-terrain buggy - a highlight of the day I hadn’t anticipated! Get yourself to Mount Ephraim Gardens next year for what will undoubtedly be another unusual (but pleasing) mix of bands - the good vibes are guaranteed.