Black Deer Festival 2024
Eridge Park
Kent
Having attended the Black Deer Festival in the two years prior to 2024, I’d come to appreciate its well-curated bill and friendly atmosphere – apart from one wet afternoon in 2023 and a late night electric storm in 2022, the weather had been generally kind too.
This year’s forecast wasn’t quite so optimistic, and the line-up (to my taste) didn’t seem to have quite so much strength in depth as previously, so I was a little apprehensive if truth be told, about spending the weekend under grey clouds in sodden clothes listening to music that I wasn’t too keen on.
Well, pathetic fallacy is obviously a thing in real life, as both the weather and bill were better than expected – albeit not perfect.
Friday got off to a good start – the promised rain didn’t appear and the musical clouds were lifted by a sprightly set from Jarrod Dickenson in the Ridge tent.
The diminutive Jade Bird on the cavernous main stage seemed an odd placement, but she filled the space with a lively and dynamic set.
Courtney Barnett is always a reliably energetic festival fixture and she didn’t disappoint this year; back in the Ridge Tent, the day’s highlight was a sublime set from The Delines, who teased new material in between a festival highlights selection.
The good thing about festivals is that they place excellent music in front of you that you may have missed – and that was very much the case with whose soulful classic pop went down a treat to these ears, and apart from catching a couple of intriguing numbers from Jack Browning on the Live Fire Stage and photographing the scorching bluesy fingers of Joe Bonamassa from the photo pit, that was my Day 1 done.
Day 2’s weather forecast promised early rain to that which had fallen overnight, but fortunately a combination of a delayed arrival and the fact that the site was on a grassy slope meant that I missed the worst of the weather.
The day began for me with Brennen Leigh & Joshua Hedley on the main stage – again, a slightly odd stage choice, especially as they were followed by Dale Watson in the Ridge Tent – both were great, but most who I spoke to agreed that it would have been better still to have reversed the stages. While we’re on about Dale Watson – what a show – what a Showman!
In the 25 years or so since I first saw him, he’s developed into a top-drawer stage presence who can command a big stage – delivering a fiery crowd-pleasing set that wasn’t bettered all weekend.
Discovery 2 followed immediately after Mr Watson – the golden tonsils of Jalen Ngonda channelled the spirits of Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye – he’s got a ‘stop you in your tracks voice’ – duly added to the post-festival research list.
It was feelgood, soul revue time from there on in, in the Ridge Tent – JJ Grey & Mofro brought a gruff New Orleans harmonica-led take on things, whereas Eli “Paperboy” Reed’s preppy country soul got everyone dancing into the night.
Elsewhere, I caught vague glimpses of Sheryl Crow from the distant main stage video screens and caught a couple of songs from Dylan LeBlanc who was playing a set to a rapt audience in Haley’s Bar before his amp conked out. Earlier in the day, I’d had a passing acquaintance with the sets of Seasick Steve (raucous) and Rachel Croft (Need to see her on a gig of her own, rather than a festival coffee tent slot).
Day 2 turned out to be my busiest day – although there were highlights on Day 3, it offered less for my taste. I enjoyed a splendid set by Roseanne Cash & husband John Leventhal and the finger-picking country blues of Muireann Bradley, but tended to avoid the pop-country/radio- country offerings that were regaling my ears from several directions at once (billing and stage sound-bleed reasons both).
Bits and pieces that I enjoyed in between the noise were a Laurel Canyonesque harmony set from Motel Sundown (who are rapidly becoming ones to watch to these ears) and Memorial on the Supajam stage.
I finished off the festival, not with Rufus Wainwright but with the Western AF takeover in Haley’s Bar where Pat Reedy’s tales won over the die-hards.
So – there wasn’t as much for me as in previous years, but plenty to enjoy if you looked beyond the obvious and were prepared to take a few risks.
Black Deer remains a solid fixture in the festival calendar and hopefully it will remain so for years to come.
Review by Nick Barber
Photos by Nick Barber – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBvEvi
The Rocking Magpie 