WLDFLWRS live
Review
If only the uncut meadow parts of St Nicholas Park in Warwick had contained a few more (wild) flowers to provide the perfect setting for WLDFLWRS this afternoon. As it was, the band themselves bloomed in the sun so I get to work an analogy in.
To be honest, I've seen so many formulations of this group/project that I've lost count of which ones I've caught & which I haven't: last time it was the four founders: Wes, Katherine, Jack & Jono. This time drummer Chris was with them & so we enjoyed the core lineup for their debut EP, the contents of which provided much of the set alongside picks from their "Last Waltz" repertoire.
Hats off to them for transcending the several sound issues with patience, stoicism & acerbic wit (I'm not sure Van Morrison wrote "Caravan" about his holiday). I'm afraid we are into the season of the bane of my life over the last few years: the proliferation of "lifestyle" festivals of banal titles & purposes where great musicians are treated like commodities. Most, if not all, of the problems could have been prevented by allocating time for sound checks: to exclude these is an affront to musicians and audiences. Thankfully once the feedback had more or less been dealt with and the band figured out which mics worked, what we heard out front reflected their talent. Sorry to raise this again but I feel strongly on the matter and wish I didn't have to annually bring it up.
The harmonies & playing were uplifting and the choice of what to play well made: I'd like to single out I particular the dedication of encore Neil Young's "Long May You Run" to the memory of both Sly Stone and Brian Wilson. To be honest, the originals in the set outnumbered the covers and I think it's exhilarating how the original idea of a sophisticated tribute gig to raise funds for Stratford's Street Arts project has evolved into four highly talented & individual writers and performers pooling their considerable abilities and visions to such wonderful effect: it cannot have been foreseen even by them I suspect.
I am not wholly sure of all their planned gigs (probably in various permutations) but don't forget their big one on November 27th at Birmingham Town Hall. MGM used to boast of having "more stars than there are in heaven" under contract. If you look at WLDFLWRS lineup of guests for Birmingham, they've trumped even that studio. (Tickets via: https://bmusic.co.uk/events/a-celebration-of-the-last-waltz)
