Womad 2016 - how was it for you?

[standing stone]

I'm thinking that constructive criticism is probably best made through e.mail/facebook/twitter(if it is short) as this forum may not get read, but feel free to have you say here along with all the best / funniest / most inspiring / moments of your weekend - you get the picture; you know what to do, and you don't have to do it all at once; just as and when you remember!

[armsnlegseverywhere]

...some moments that will stick, through the fog of exhaustion, in no particular order..
-Thursday meet up was lovely, you are all off your rockers btw.  Bloohair, I think our O turned out to be very photogenic :-)
-Sunday night when I thought I was too tired to even tap my foot, then Le Vent du Nord came on, and had me hopping around like a toddler on a sugar rush with a lovely fella called Michael who travels from Germany every year for Womadness :-)
-comedy moment on Saturday night when it was a bit on the chilly side and too cold to leave the tent to get to the loo and my woolly bedhat fell into the bucket of wee :-(
-bumping into Hootdrummer, like, everywhere! :-) so glad you weren't actually arrested Hootdrummer :-)
-Blick Bassy - made me cry
- Hanoi masters - made me cry
- bumping into SS+H, Nigenet, CalnDel, Rendrags, Accordion Martin, Bloohair and all the lovely friendly folks sharing the festival love.  Jambo, where were you hiding all weekend? I saw your ankles once but somehow missed the rest of you!
...is it too early to start packing for next year? :-)

[bloohair]

Great moments that stand out:
Del and H parading around the arena in all their lit up glory and attracting lots of lovely attention.
Physics Pavilion Lecture on Fireworks Friday at noon with Beanstew.
Grit Orchestra
Fuel Fandango
Cuncordu e Tenor de Oroseo
Having ONE glass of wine Saturday lunchtime, then the giggles
Dubioza Kolektiv
Dancing at Molly's bar Saturday night even with achey feet.
The fooooood!
People actually sleeping the campsite at night!!!!
No rain!
Flashing gloves
Fairy lights
Bloo Hair
Bubbles!!!

Not so great;
Unclean loos - seem to be less cleaning going on this year
doublesdesign.com/womad/DelnH.png


Look, they attract the youngsters - not a bad thing at all!

[digitalmonkey]

My Musical highlights -

Friday - Grit Orchestra. Saw a few Forum type people at the front including a chap in the kilt but I was too far back to say hello; Charles Bradley, how much soul does he breath?;Hot 8; John Grant. Dawn Penn did do that hit.

Saturday - Diabel Cissokho; Sidestepper; Hollie Stephenson, boy what a talent she is; Roots Manuva rocked; Tetish with one of the surprise covers of the weekend, Be My Baby. Slight deja vu moment there as saw Ronnie Spector perform that song at Glasto  and Muzykanci were a great laugh to round of the day

Sunday - Cerys Matthews, a nice way to start Sunday; Lura was a surprising delight for me; Dubioza Koletiv - wow, what a performance. Thanks to my mate I saw these and possibly even topped Red Barat from last year, capped by another intriguing cover version this time Andy Williams I Can't Take My Eyes off you. The crowd were buying into them, great atmosphere the Red Tent was rocking. One of my all time favourite WOMAD performance and highlight of the weekend. Other mentions on Saturday to The Anchoress who performed a "tribute" to Farage; Le Vent Du Nord who were simply stunning with me frequently jumping off the ground rather too energetically; caught the last half hour of Afriquoi as wasn't getting St Germain, enjoyable even from my spot pretty much inside the tree and finished with Moh:Kouyate.

Saw many other acts but these mentioned meant it was another good one for me. There were a few disappointments, the lead singer in Cabuera asking for his bit of wood to play the guitar back 20 minutes after he had voluntarily thrown it into the crowd. Not sure what that was all about. I wasn't the only one to leave at this point

[olirow]

Hmmmm...

My plan for next year - cut out anything but 'must sees' from the UK, anything that sounds like it might be fusion, and anything where the bass threatens to destroy your eardrums.

If I had done so this year, I would have had a better time.

Some fantastic stuff as always, but more mediocre than normal, particularly Saturday, although George Clinton was great.

Was I just unlucky with crass sound clash between Yakkety Poetry and Ecotricity stage? Luna Pena certainly stood no chance of being heard.

Liked the new style loos by the Siam tent!

[dorsethelen]

I loved it - though wasn't taken by any of the 3 main headliners. Heard them from the tent but no urge to go and see them.

Anoushka Sankhar was sublime from the back of the Siam as was Ibrahim Maloof on Friday.

Enjoyed Imarhan on Thursday - but Asian Dub just didn't do it for me

Great workshops by Sidestepper & The East Pointers, Afriquoi fun but they wanted too much audience participation and I just wanted to sit down and listen!
Went to 5 brilliant Taste The Worlds (my new favourite stage)- Amarterra, Blick Bassy, Zmeit3, Lula Pena and Les Amazones D'Afrique

The Grit Orchestra was a new discovery for me - great being down on the rail with half the forum!

Not come across King Creosote before and hadn't planned to see him but heard him as I walked past the Siam and ended up staying for and enjoying his whole set.
Enjoyed The Pierce Brothers, found This is The Kit a little disappointing and really regret having to miss The Breath due to a clash - heard great reports of them afterwards.
Too tired to dance to Vent Du Nord but aren't they fantastic! Sat at the back and listened. Volosi were also wonderful but didn't catch their full set, ditto the throat singers.
Cerys Matthews was brilliant on Sunday morning - always a great way to take in a few acts you may otherwise have missed.

Wish I had had time to go to the physics Pavillion - meant to but forgot. Wish I had gone to Dubioza Kolektiv too, and Tasho Lhunpo. Wish I had seen more of Mercedes Peon too but had to leave early due to a clash. Couldn't get near Ecotricty for Fuel Fandango!

You can never see everything and there are always going to be people you really wish you had seen! I have heard a number of different people say it was a disappointing WOMAD but there are always so many great acts to be discovered...though sometimes you don't know which the best ones are till it's too late. The headliners didn't appeal to me but I found more than enough elsewhere to keep me happy and entertained all weekend!

[dorsetsteve]

This Womad was up with the best that I've been to. I need to reflect before I list my personal high spots, but in the meantime here is one. Video of Baaba Maal hopping over the barrier ...

[hotdrummer]

Hello folks. What a great weekend. I liked the feeling of disorientation I got on the new site layout. Made it feel like a new place. Incidentally , I did Sunday on Strava and walked 8.9km, climbed 21metres.
Thurs: great meeting you all. Really enjoyed Imarhan (wait 'til you see the pic SS!)
Fri. Well I was out at a wedding all day. What a day to miss!! And do you know where that line is from' and me I nearly got busted, and wouldn't that be my luck''
Answers on a postcard made from hemp.
Sat, N'diale great Breton contrabass girl, Kel Assouf. Super drummer. St Germain with great conguero. Anoushka, sublime; and Corsican voices at the end. Armsnlegs crazy dancing ( how's the Ruston?) and nice thali.
Sunday. Cerys on R3 stage was nice and got to see Buika. Oh I think St G were on Sunday. And a great way to end with Moh! Kouyate. You were right Rendrags.
Downers: not many. Songhai were a bit of a disappointment and maybe I should have given him longer but the guy on the white piano at the end I didn't get off on.
One could go on but altogether fantastic apart from the scene from midnight express.
Womadders are such lovely people and forum nerds particularly so. What about to forum band? We need a font person. Xx
Now what ? Grit in Edinburgh and Musicport in Whitby.

[sc]

Aug 1, 2016 21:51:51 GMT hotdrummer said:

Womadders are such lovely people and forum nerds particularly so. What about to forum band? We need a font person. Xx

May I humbly suggest Del should front the Forum Band      

[bloohair]

Aug 1, 2016 22:00:58 GMT sc said:

Aug 1, 2016 21:51:51 GMT hotdrummer said:

Womadders are such lovely people and forum nerds particularly so. What about to forum band? We need a font person. Xx

May I humbly suggest Del should front the Forum Band      

Del would be great as band leader/conductor. He did such a great job choreographing the human WOMAD words for webby, I think it's his natural place  We have singers and drummers - who else is in?

[sc]

I'm happy to be your, Manager, Promoter and Finance Manager ................. just sign this little contract .......... yes it is small font but that's just to save paper, ............ just sign at the bottom of the page thank you.

[dorsethelen]

This is The Kits performance on Ecotricity was really spoiled by a very loud shouty poet at the Poetry Shack who drowned her out and I have heard similar happened for Lula Pena (so really glad I caught her at Taste the World as she was wonderful) .

[standing stone]

Highlights coming to mind so far:

Thursday -

finding such a lush, diverse pasture in Park and Camp - made sure we left a slice uncovered inside the tent for our indoor garden and hope the swallows and house martins and bees are enjoying having their fields back now!

bubbles.....

meeting so many forumers so early on in the day; seeing people I'd missed for a year or two; being given a pot of extra special magic jam; enjoying the planned meets and having fun together - family feel; party started; love it!

Imarhan - excellent; fabulous start to Womad for us and fun doon the front with bubbles and uv colours

Friday -

bubbles

Grit Orchestra; friends, laughter, G&T, singing, tears, goosebumps, love, joy and sadness. Best ever Womad experience. Cal N Del's t-shirts and the one Greg was wearing for the performance (Del will share the full back story on this; his story to tell ) Meeting Greg at the signing and sharing firsts and laughter and hugs while he kindly signed my t-shirt; still grinning like a loon here

Bamba Wassoulou Groove - fab discovery - liked lots

Loos by the Siam - like aeroplane loos - best ever festival loos - excellent; loved them; more please!

Watching Del and H be 6 years old again with their night light shows

Saturday -

bubbles

Anoushka Shankar - great to see her at Womad; remember us asking for her on the First Founder Forum when we lost Ravi - special moment

Alash - we like throat singing; they had a sound of their own; felt fresh; lovely

meeting people in costumes - the Roy Wood lookalike in sparkly silver lycra with a horse called Dave on his head, Jack Sparrow and the lady with the palm trees and flamingos on her head, the anonymous person who put a "your sexy" clothes peg on the back of H's jacket, the little girl who insisted on giving H her precious jewel because she loved him as Lightguy..... finding ourselves watching George Clinton with Del and having fun with balloons and glow sticks

Sunday -

bubbles

Ngawang Lodup ad Tashi Lhunpo Monks - absolutely spellbinding; pure joy to hear - would love to hear a performance of both at the Bowers and Wilkins

Steven Moffat - excellent interview and Q&A session - really enjoyed it; great to see and hear him

Malarkey Light Painting - more fun with Del & H; making fab photo's with light trails like sparklers

The East Pointers at World Rhythms - first class music, really lovely guys, it was like having a family gathering in the tent; dancing and joy - loved it

An unexpected good night's sleep

Monday -

Up, decamped and home by 7.50am, sad to lave but happy knowing that we'll be doing all of this again next year; can't wait to see everyone again

[Rendrags]

Well what a brilliant weekend that was!

Standouts:

Meet-up with lovely forum folk on Thursday

Great start to the music with Imrahan
Grit Orchestra
Zmei3 and Bamba Wassoulou Groove (clash meant only saw part of each)
Ibraham Maalouf
John Grant
Anouska Shankar - absolutely wonderful
Sons of Kemet - a blast!
Muzykanski
Konono No1 - they only played four numbers, all sounded pretty much the same, but couldn't stop dancing to the rhythmic beats!
Moh! Kouyate - a great way to end the weekend

Seeing armsnlegseverywhere dance!
Seeing SS's H covered in lights
The weather - not a spot of rain!
The stewards super friendly and helpful as usual
Brilliant food and beer (especially Old Hookey!)
The loos were clean throughout (well the ones I visited were). Nice new loos by the Siam
Easier travel from arena to arboretum with no wristband checks

Disappoinmtents:

Not too impressed by the new arena - less space in front of the main stage made it difficult to navigate to Siam or CG stage/Red Tent. Also meant that had to put up with viewing from the side, so couldn't see so well
I like the setting of the Ecotricity stage, but you have to get towards the front to see and hear the performers well. I was towards the back for the Breath - couldn't see a thing, and was surounded by people endlessly chatting amongst themselves. If only the stage could be elevated a little, it would mean that you stood a better chance of seeing who's up there

Songhai starting 30 minutes late, meant I missed the last half to go and see Anoushka

Somehow I came away with no CD's - I was going to queue for Anoushka's CD signing, but opted to go see Sons of Kemet, which I'm gald I did, they were amazing.

Didn't manage to:
Get to Taste the World - must include at least one next year
Geto to the Cerys live broadcast - must try and do that next year
See anything in B&W - didn't do enough homework on who was playing, and played it safe by seeing acts elsewhere
Visit the Physics tent (tried on Thursday but not open)

I thought it a great Womad - for me it was up there with the best I've been to (8 so far...)

[calndel]

where to begin

Thursday

a 35 minute drive to WOMAD arriving before the gate opened!

The tent being up and fairy light attached before 13.00

Walking around the arena with JY, H and SS and getting our first look at the new layout

Spreading Jam around the site

Meeting lots of lovely WOMAD forum members, posing by the WOMAD sign and Del getting the human WOMAD sign into shape

Imrahan were a great way to kick of the weekends loon dancing, face painting and illuminating