Picnic Hampers and cagoules at the ready, festival season is here again!
A weekend full of live music, sandwiches, glorious weather and an intimate setting saw the likes of The Zutons, Elbow and KT Tunstall grace the stage in aid of the forestry commission.

Sunday saw the last in a series of shows held at Delamere Forest, which is in the wilds of Cheshire, a picturesque venue set in the midst of the forest with leylandi scattered all around. A trek from the car park with deck chairs and picnic hampers in hand, it was no wonder people were wearing hiking boots for the 15 min jaunt to the venue over scrub and tarmac, guided to the venue by security.

The typical British weather held out, the sun shone with rays beating down and the audience made the most of it, raiding the ice cream van for 99’s with extra juice and the smell of freshly cooked doughnuts filling the air. Everywhere you looked someone was filling their face with a sandwich or sausage roll, drinking wine or having a glass of pop.
The audience was a rather mixed cross section, oldies, young couples and an influx of bright-eyed teenagers, I was quite surprised to say the least as it seemed to be a family day out, Mom’s and Dad’s had bought their kids along to enjoy the feast of live music and so they should!! What a good education.

The show kicked off early in the evening. Singer/Songwriter Tom Baxter provided the support tonight with a chilled out 40 minute set, including songs from albums Feather and Stone and Skybound, airing tracks such as Don’t let go and an acoustic version of Love is not enough. Baxter’s band were astounding, accompanied by the trendiest musicians I’ve ever seen, even the violinist was wearing designer shades and the latest retro basketball trainers!

Tonight was all about the headlining act KT Tunstall. Without a doubt one of the UK’s top female artists with a fabulous reputation for spectacular live shows fuelled with a passion for environmental issues and not shying away from stirring up debate.
Tunstall is a committed environmentalist, even her tour buses run on biofuel, she wears eco-fashion, doesn't own a car and her album sleeves are printed on 100 per cent recycled paper.


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Dressed in Jeans and a waistcoat, Tunstall looked relaxed and seemed to enjoy every second of the 90 minute set. Commenting on how she’d written a letter to Mr Moon asking him for the rain to stay away. Never missing an opportunity to involve the audience and purvey a little story between each song. Even letting on that her Grandad worked on the ship yards and she used to drink in a local pub in Whitchurch.

The set consisted of songs from Eye to the telescope and Drastic Fantastic:
Little favours
Miniature Disasters
Other side of the world
Hold On
Someday soon
Funnyman
Solo Tune
Blackhorse and the cherry tree
Ashes
Hopeless
Under the weather
Beauty of Uncertainty
Another place to fall
If only
Saving my face
Suddenly I see
Encore included three songs:
Universe and you
Stopping the love
I don’t want you now

Highlight of the set was the acoustic performance of Black Horse and a Cherry tree, showed what an accomplished performer Tunstall is, having the audience eating out of the palm of her hand at every opportunity and with ever strum of her guitar.

The jaunt back to the car park was a happy one, empty picnic hampers, dry cagoule’s and happy smiling faces, whispers of how brilliant the show was and what a good day everyone had had.

Tunstall shone like the moon in the sky tonight, definitely one to catch live if you haven’t already. An intimate venue and glorious setting must be experienced by everyone.

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Michelle Owen