Larmer Tree Festival Review. 2019. part 2.Circus Brothers, Cymande & Gypsy Jukebox
What a great way to arrive at a festival, after a long drive, to the oompa-loompa beats of the Circus Brothers booming out from the main stage!
The podcast review of the festival is going to complement our contributions here, so I’ll mainly focus on content that’s publicly available and studio recorded.
I love a bit of Balkan beats, and it’s always a great way to create a silly, goofy mood of knees-up ribaldry. Have a listen to this for example:
Quite a different musical experience followed that, in the form of Cymande, one of the headline acts for the weekend. I don’t imagine they’re new to many of you, but if you’ve forgotten what life was like in England in the 70’s, do refresh your memory here. Their most well-known track is surely ‘Brothers on the Slide’, which we happily share for your listening pleasure. If it’s not in your easy-listening collection, I would recommend adding it.
But I have to admit I wandered off after their first few tracks, having only just arrived at Larmer, and wanting to explore the goodies it had on offer while the sun was shining.
The next recommendation would be Gypsy Jukebox. This is not one that the kids were getting down to before the days of Reaganomics. But they do what they say on the Instagram tin, and they know how to get a festival dance floor moving! Of course, what they have in common with the Circus Brothers is the fundamental ska beat that your correspondent so loves. Irresistible bopping ensued.
