End Of The Road Festival

Written by Dermot on Saturday, 26 September 2009

This was my first year at Dorset’s small but perfectly formed End Of The Road Festival, but I fully expect I’ll be back again.

Set in the charming Larmer Tree Gardens (perhaps the only festival site that can boast wandering peacocks) it’s very much a ‘hipsters’ event, with no vomiting lager swilling/coke sniffin’ lads to be found. The crowd vibe is distinctly mellow and – amongst the men folk – boasts perhaps the most creative and inventive display of facial hair this side of Christendom. It’s also a ‘family friendly’ event, but not in an anodyne sense.

On my list of acts to catch were Neko Case (due in no small part to Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel), Fleet Foxes (out of curiosity), The Low Anthem (ditto), Dan Sartain (the Latino garage wonder kid) and Herman Dune (usually worth a punt). I also felt a sense of obligation to see The Hold Steady, as many people told me I should. As it happened I already had (Glastonbury some years back) but completely forget about it. Suffice to say they’re not a ‘me’ band.

Needless to say, I was on alert for cool gear the whole time.

 

Perhaps the much prized award of ‘best guitar’ went to Bog Logg III. If you’re unfamiliar with Mr. Logg, he plays wearing a military pilot’s helmet and a gold jumpsuit. Every tune sounds remarkably similar (think amphetamine slide blues with rapid fire cattle auction style vocals) but somehow he manages to get away with it.

Bob was sporting a fine looking archtop. I couldn’t identify it but it came under the auspices of ‘cheap but characterful’.

 

 

 

 

 

The Low Anthem, this year’s underground ‘hot ticket’ played a fine set based around a roster of instruments they swapped between themselves. To their credit, they forewent the ubiquitous Nord keyboard and went to the effort to take a harmonium along. Good work, chaps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As well as taking a fine archtop on stage, Dan Sartain also played an Airline. I wasn’t close enough to see for sure but – knowing Dan (very much a retro kid) – I’d be shocked if this was one of the Eastwood reissues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alela Diane’s bass player (apparently also her boyfriend) with suitably retro Vox bass. Very much a family affair, Alela’s dad also plays mandolin and guitar with her. In another life he’s a dental technician with a sideline as a dental technician. Cool dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I came across a new guitar-maker, Patrick Arbuthnot. His instruments, branded Chanticleer, are all metal bodied. Apart from the resonator guitars which you’d expect, Patrick also makes metal bodied electrics. Patrick doubles up as a pedal steel player and repairer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special mention goes to Josh T Pearson, owner of the finest beard in Christendom. When not fighting his demons (literally)Josh cracked some jokes and even brought a new drummer joke to my attention: “What does a drummer use for contraception? His personality”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video

 

Neko Case, featuring Jon Rauhouse on pedal steel guitar.

 

Dan Sartain sporting a fine archtop, while his bass player hovers with a Burns bass.