Static Roots Festival, Germany 2023

Static Roots Festival 2023
Zentrum Altenberg
Oberhausen
Germany

There’s currently a triumvirate of established European Roots Festivals (four if you count Utrecht) that attract major followings amongst the Americana etc community.
Static Roots (inspired by Kilkenny but taking its name from the fact that everything happens in one venue) is the German branch of the family, taking place at the Zentrum Altenberg, a converted former zinc factory in Oberhausen, a short train trip from Düsseldorf.

A two day festival, the brainchild of Dietmar Leibecke and run by a fine team of family, friends and professionals, it has a well earned reputation for its friendliness and the enthusiasm of its knowledgeable crowds.

This year, in temperatures hitting the mid 30s C, the pacing of the bill was important – and very well done it was too.
One Eleven Heavy started things off with a lively Grateful Dead type sound, featuring a lot of guitar-led sonic variety – restricted to a 45 minute set, that meant that there was no unnecessary excess too.

Second up was the return of one of the previous year’s stand out performers, Canada’s Evangeline Gentle – there was a reason for her re-invite – she’s an incredible performer.
Diminutive in size but huge in delivering songs of emotion with a voice to break hearts, she topped the previous year’s performance, but this time also featuring songs from her second album, due for a September release.
At the end of her set she was joined by her producer, Jim Bryson who provided backing vocals on the song “Sundays” – and at the end of his own set in which Bryson shone as a raconteur and surreal observer of life’s foibles – the favour was returned.

There was a change of pace following this, with the sophisticated pop-punk of Irish trio Rowan – reminiscent to these eyes and ears of a younger Ash. Their riffing energy started to crank up things before the arrival of the first day’s headliners, the Cordovas.
I’d caught the latest incarnation of the band a couple of weeks earlier in front of a fairly tepid crowd at the Down by the River Festival in Venlo in the Netherlands, but this was different again – starting with a batch of trio harmony songs featuring new vocalist Kelsey Lepperd they pitched their performance well, before transforming into a soulful-punky jam band which incinerated what was left of the audience, to a rapturous reception.

Overnight the temperature nudged up a couple of degrees more but there were few visible signs of wilting from either side of the stage.

For those nursing the effects of the previous day’s lubrication, the Dutch harmony trio Woolf was a soothing opener – incredible kudos too, to band member Ellen Tackenkamp who performed at 37 weeks pregnant!

Beth//James then brought a batch of enthusiastic husband and wife pop duo songs to the proceedings, before session hardened performers, Canada’s The Hello Darlins provided a lively and catchy set of originals and crowd pleasing covers, including Kit Johnson’s Neil Young vocal clone of “Helpless”.

The previous day, there had been a pre-festival tour, as is traditional (your reviewer was the translator for the non-German speakers) – this year the tour was of the Duisburg harbour – music was provided on the water by Dylan Earl – and it was he who closed out the first half of Saturday’s proceedings with an extremely mature set of literate, singer-songwriter material, which he concluded with a tear jerking cover of “Wild Mountain Thyme”.

There was then an hour’s comfort break for all concerned before Malin Pettersen and band took to the stage – the poor musicians had flown from Norway that morning, but their instruments and cases hadn’t made it – so they were left to play with borrowed instruments and the clothes they were standing in.
If anything, this spurred them on to even greater heights, with a ferocity to the set that defeated the sound gremlins too. (Note – their gear turned up in time to go back home…)

Ferris and Sylvester then brought their stadium rock sound to the Zentrum Altenberg, much to the delight of a 300+ Saturday crowd – in their quieter moments they showed a more interesting dynamic to these ears.

Topping off the weekend was the reunion and return of John Blek and the Rats – no strangers to the Static Roots stage – they were there performing at the start; this was their return after ten years away. You wouldn’t have guessed though (apart from the regular reminders from the stage) as this was a fluid and passionate performance of the highest quality spanning a variety of rootsy styles and impeccable musicianship.

Post the cessation of indoor performances, there was time for a couple of hours outside the venue, drinking and singing along to legendary German busker “Fisch” (no relation to the Marillion guy) before the audience dispersed into the night and then back to Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, Spain, and even the US of A – separated by physical distance for the rest of the year, but united in the love of music.
I may sound all hippy about this, but that’s one of the greatest strengths of Static Roots – it’s a wonderfully diverse and friendly festival that has established itself as one of the best, in any genre, anywhere.
Long may it continue and long may it prosper!

Review and photos by Nick Barber
Photos – https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjALMXb