Ecofest 2025
Review
I am pleased to say that after the revelation last week that there are some genuinely well organised local festival events when I enjoyed the Kenilworth Old Town one, this year's Leamington Ecofest seemed to have either listened to the criticisms or taken guidance from the model just cited.
Publicity of the artists was marginally improved but the big improvements were live sound & the stage compering.
Like Kenilworth, Ecofest 2025 had realised that securing the services of a top notch sound engineer was worth the investment. Nina McLean-Ellmann (more of whom in a moment) made a real difference: in fact so in demand is she that they were fortunate to secure her talents.
I knew from previous experience that a rather obscure corner of the Warwick District Council might have stage times so I got to see three superb live performances (sadly I could not be there for Man Made Moon but I'd have got rather wet had I been able to) in Banoffee, Antonia Kirby and Hannah Woof.
After my big burst of enthusiasm for Banoffee the other week, I'm glad to have caught them again so soon: and with a longer set heard more songs including some so new as to not yet have gained formal titles. Had Banoffee easy access to a time machine, they'd be a cinch for inclusion on ‘Pillows & Prayers' which probably accounts for some of my enjoyment but they are wholly their own people with their own stories & as near to a unique experiences as you can imagine on the contemporary scene.
You can immerse yourself so deeply in Banoffee's performances that you have to adjust to the inevitable end of their set but I could live with infinite length ones.
On balance, I still stick to my contention that both Antonia & Hannah are best enjoyed in an intimate setting: that reflects the nature of their original material & the intensity of their delivery.
However, catching them on Leamington Bandstand on a breezy day does not equate to a lesser experience. Both laced their sets with covers which formed an adjustment to my above theory (Antonia focusing on the 1990s while Hannah tended to travel further back) though both offered sufficient originals to keep me very happy.
I am convinced that Nina's skills (she does a lot of work at folk & other festivals) contributed much to this success: the best sound I've heard at Ecofest,
Beyond this, is it just my fancy or have both of them developed "bigger" voices? Obviously they are both thoughtful, progressive artists bound to move forward with performance skills as well as their writing & each time I see them they have consequent more experience. At any rate it was most impressive.
The compering too is worth a mention: if you like me you cringe at announcers with little grasp of facts, more interested in projecting themselves than focusing on the artists and who actually stay and watch/applaud the latter, you'll have appreciated the young compere Vinny Aulak yesterday. Top work from her too.
