MAVERICK FESTIVAL 2024
Rising stars shine at Europe’s foremost Americana festival in rural Suffolk where the artists perform in barns. Honestly, this is not an Alan Partridge-style parody!
Say yes to Lizzie No!
So, who watched Glastonbury the other week? Did you surf through or spend hours on the sofa ogling the stars with their huge ensembles of musicians and dancers perform in front of audiences that stretched into the distance? Or did you ignore the fuss and wish Wimbledon (or the Euros) were occupying the BBC instead? Perhaps you were actually there? I’ve never made it to Somerset’s superstar festival – its just too huge for my minimalist tastes. But I have, on occasion, watched from my sofa and wondered at the spectacle: so epic a gathering of musicians and fans! As a pal who goes every year noted, £350 might seem a lot for a ticket but, as this ensures you witness plenty of contemporary talents, its good value.
I tend to prefer things a little more down-home. Which explains my enthusiasm for Maverick Festival: held annually since 2008 over the first weekend in July, Maverick is an Americana festival and the under-sung gem on the UK’s summer festival circuit. Actually, the only thing I dislike about Maverick is the fact it clashes with the Love Supreme festival in East Sussex - the only other summer festival whose lineup (jazz/soul/funk) always attracts my attention. Maverick’s 17th gathering was held in Easton Farm Park, a perfect space as it offers several barns for musicians to play in - which means it both feels appropriately “country” and, when there are constant downpours (Friday night and Saturday afternoon), the musicians still perform unhindered. Love Supreme’s main stage is outdoors - I imagine the funk really got filthy this year.
Maverick lives up to its name by never attempting to book big name artists – you won’t find Steve Earle or Emmylou Harris here as their fees would force the promoters to sell considerably more than the 2000 tickets they feel comfortable with. Instead, you get left-field veterans and overlooked heroes and rising stars and local artists - yes, plenty of mavericks. It also means you can be surprised: each time I attend Maverick I experience artists who I’ve never heard of before and (when they’re really good) I become a raving fanboy. In this sense, Maverick reinforces my love of live music – here are musicians with songs to share that I want to tell my friends (and readers) about.
Matt Joe Gow: you’ve probably not heard of him but, having now seen his photo, you’re surely developing an interest in doing so.
If you’re wondering what exactly is “Americana”, well, good question – essentially, its an umbrella name created in the mid-90s to cover the rise of then spiky “alt.country” artists (think Uncle Tupelo, Hazeldine etc) alongside Nashville vet’s like Earle and Harris, who were no longer featured on US country radio: this now being given over to a much more bombastic pop-rock country sound with steel guitar+Stetsons tacked onto banal songs whose lyrics regularly reference pick-up trucks and church like haikus. A good genre then to seek refuge from.