Friday 04/08/06 Day 1 @ The Big Chill

'The Big Chill' - in the musical lexicon is a byword for eclecticism. And this years programming had the breadth of a continent with diversity to boot. Music, mayhem, fancy dress looking sharp and rising into the zenith; and a good deal of the Sideshow in evidence - with 'The Big Hug', 'Big Romance', 'The Garden Shed', croquet on the lawn, candle powered steamboats, insect circus and quaint Englishness in all its eccentricities.

The Sanctuary stage fits the bill for a suitably chilled entree to this years Big Chill with Jacquamore jockeying with chamber waltz and pizzicato strings, delicate intrigue indeed, pastoral charmers and huge brass blasts from her cherished vinyl.

The Village Green musters interest with folk artists old and emergent. The Memory Band get to grips with the traditional folk-song and fiddling violins, the instrumental 'Catch As Catch Can' with the violin and xylophone lighting up proceedings for musicality. 'Why (Does Your Love Hurt So Much)' by Natasha Thomas is given the folky spoon-bend with "La-dee-da-dee-da" and a plaintive tear in the eye then onto a clap-along clap-happy closing.

Martin Carthy proved a delight with his aged traditional folk songs, worn by time tales of poachers and gamekeepers, long songs that keep the narrative tradition alive - the tale of Hamlet/Plotonius/Rosencratz & Guildenstein told as folk song in three verses with the verses weighing in at a good 2 minutes or so, Martin Carthy's voice full of cadence and emphasis with this humorous adaptation, superlative stuff.

Tunng are something of a must hear, with background electronic twists and great songs, acoustic guitars and lots of tinkly percussion. Music and times were jovial and humorous - Mike with the self-deprecating "We're not very good really" in dealing with an aborted song and technical difficulties. New album's 'Red And Green' marries the acoustic/electronic expressions with its squishes and squeaks of electro-doodles, and instrumental 'Out The Window With The Window' with the fabulous Allen Ginsberg sample always a joy, and two of their finest - 'The Engine Room' and 'Jenny Again' with its song from the perspective of the dead hubby - "...I went so quick it makes you shudder that I'm gone..." and its lovely 4-part vocal harmonies, unto the last number to audience dismay - 'Surprise Me 44' and the sing along "doo do de doo...". It's Folk folks, but not as we know it.

Castle stage features the resurgent Vashti Bunyan with bewitching, enchanted songs and music, sharing 'Just Another Day', a song that fulfilled one of her wishes when she heard it being whistled by someone. 'Here Before' is pure and iridescent - so, so good to hear live.

There's the unmissable on the main stage - Jose Gonzales. Congratulations to the Big Chill for booking Jose whose star is high in the ascendant. 'Heartbeats' raises the whoops and wails and proves Jose is the big draw of the day. There's defining moments witnessing performers knowing they're going to break big time, and sharing this Eastnor Castle Main Stage before Jose finds himself post-haste on at the Albert Hall and even greater Universal appeal is one such moment. His tender songs and lyrical guitar are encapsulating, his voice clear and delicate. Jose takes us through his album and onto some awesome covers - Jimmy Sommerville's 'Small Town Boy' and Kylie Minogue's 'Put Your Hand On Your Heart' are elevated from pop because of the sincerity of expression - "...it's one thing to say you're sorry/ and another to say it from the heart...". Massive Attack's 'Teardop' proves a spoil for the Big Chill crowd and an end to a truly magnificent performance.

Different Drummer's Dollboy is creating ambient trance-inducing loops from glockenspiel, zither and clarinet with noodling like Penguin Cafe Orchestra and the Fleetwood Mac styled 'How We Behave'. 'Casual Nudism' proves hypnotic with repetitive looped-glockenspiel and heavy breathing, and 'Underground Overground' reaching out to Wombled Big Chiller memories.