5/7/2015 East Barnet Festival - Part 2

Sunday finds me heading back down to the park for the last day of the 2015 East Barnet Festival. Once again the weather is lovely - warm and mostly sunny, without being too warm. Unfortunately, I don't manage to make it down in time to see the The Silver Manatees who were one of the bands I had been looking forward to seeing - they were very good last time I saw them. Being in the pub until after midnight after yesterday at the festival probably didn't help matters... Still, Sunday is an interesting day at the festival - with a few surprises.

The first act I actually managed to see was Kerrie Masters. This girl was new to me but seems like seasoned and experienced performer. She is a soul/jazz type singer who also plays the flute.

Kerrie has an excellent voice and knows how to use it. Her band are good too - although a bit on the dull side. Maybe this is deliberate to highlight the singer? The songs are funky and soulful, but there is a bit of a a surprise when Kerrie launches into an AC/DC song! The unexpected cover of 'Whole Lotta Rosie' is performed in a very laid back and relaxed fashion - so much so that I suspect a lot of the audience don't even realise they are hearing one of the all time classic hard rock songs!

The tempo is taken up a bit when well known local pop/rock/soul covers band Paparazzi take to the stage.

This is probably the most varied set of the day and includes numbers by The Scissor Sisters, Creedance Clearwater Revival (in a Tina Turner style) and even Guns 'N' Roses! Their singer Andrea can really belt out a tune!

Paparazzi have a good sound and play really well - definitely one of the highlights of the day.

The next act is a bit of a surprise - no one seems to know who Vigilante are. The singer has an American accent but claims to have been born locally. Fortunately their playing is better than their wigs!

The band play original hard rock songs and aren't as bad as they look - I guess they don't mean to be taken too seriously anyway. The frontman is actually quite charismatic and entertaining - which is just as well as the songs don't really hold your attention that well.

Next up is well known local musician Mark O'Connor - who appears to be a last minute addition and doesn't appear on the bill. He performs a short solo acoustic set and is always a lively performer.

Next were popular local rock covers band Texas Flyers. The band are all highly experienced musicians and regular performers at this festival as well as in local (and further afield) pubs. Their set consists mainly of well known rock and blues classics, but there are a few more rarely heard songs thrown into the set as well to keep things interesting.

This is a band who know the right sort of songs to play to get people going.

A Texas Flyers set is always entertaining, but all too soon it's over and it's time for today's headline act...

Variety has always been a feature of the music at the East Barnet Festival, and today is no exception. After various acts earlier in the day featuring funk, rock, pop, and soul (and that's just on this stage - there are 3 others) today's show is brought to a close by something completely different - Minnie's Henhouse. I've known about this band and been wanting to see them for a long time, but this is the first time I have actually managed to see them. This is a long way from the type of music I'll normally go and see - it's from a time before there was even such a thing as rock & roll. I wasn't even sure if I'd like it as people had been telling me it probably wasn't my kind of thing. Minnie's Henhouse is an act as much as it is a band, and the musical style is taken from the 1920's to 1940's. Not the sort of thing people who know me would expect me to like at all. Little do they know that many many years ago I used to listen to a show late at night on Capital Radio that used to play this sort of stuff. I listened mainly because there was nothing else on the radio at that time of night to be honest. But I still listened - so there must have been something I liked about it...

This is a cleverly put together act, and although this music is from a time before 'rock' - it rocks! It swings and it rolls too. The music is lively, fun, and energetic. Minnie herself has great stage presence and charisma - a natural performer who works hard all the way through the set - although there is one entertaining interlude where she takes a chance and asks a member of the crowd to get up on stage and carry her while she sings a song - something that could have easily ended in disaster depending on how much he had been drinking - good thing she didn't ask me! It was very funny though - and didn't quite end in disaster! At one point a 'special guest' is introduced to sing - the brilliantly named Pimms Brooke (New/East Barnet residents should get the joke) who had apparently flown in from Dubai for the show.

There were a few surprises in the Henhouse - just when you are getting into the 1920's/30's vibe - a very familiar song pops up in the set - one you are more used to hearing played by Nirvana! This band certainly keep you on your toes...

Most the band had dressed in period costume to some extent - apart from the violin player - but at least her hairstyle was very 1920's. I'm not complaining though 'cos she had great stage presence. Nice boots too!

There always seemed to be something happening on stage and it seemed a polished and professional show - while still being a lot of fun and having a slight edge to it.

In spite of Minnie's Henhouse being a long way from the sort of act I'd normally go and see I thought they were worthy headliners for Sunday's bill and I thoroughly enjoyed their set - great fun! This was a great end to the 2015 East Barnet Festival and I look forward to seeing this band again.

And as the (surprisingly reasonably priced) beer tent shuts at 21.00 - it's back to the pub....

Same time next year then?

PS: Did anybody spot that a certain bass player turned up in more than one band?