The Silburys – Live at Spring Fest
Review by Holly D Johnston
The Silburys are a full-band extension of Silbury Hill, the well-known guitar, mandolin, flute duo playing regularly around East Anglia. Here, Scott Dolling and David Stainer are joined by Diz Deacon on bass / 12-string, and Martin Linford on drums. When this live album arrived on my doorstep for review, I was delighted to realise I had been at the event when this was recorded and am one of the lucky listeners who can reminisce from my armchair.
The first thing to say is that this is indeed a live recording. How often do you buy a CD at a gig only discover a recording baring no resemblance to what you heard on the night? This CD packs all of the energy and enthusiasm you see, feel and hear at a Silbury gig. As they state on the press release – ‘no overdubs’; just pure bottled - or canned! - Silburys. This CD is live, complete with breath sounds (in ‘House of the King’ for example), enthusiastic applause and the flow and ebb of real music.
The Silburys repeatedly deliver homebred storytelling with tales from our own East Anglian soil. This eight track album includes a song about ‘Thomas Wolsey’, ‘The Dunwich Bells’ about the town lost to sea, and ‘London’ a ship discovered sunk off the Essex coastline . But what’s folk without a dose of innuendo? The ‘Bonny Black Hare’ is a bass led, throbbing interpretation of a traditional song that tips no hat to socks and sandals and will have your toes tapping, hips moving and body marching you will-lessly out onto the dance floor.