Photos by John Kol
Review by Imogen Evans
Elephant Sessions Review by Nick Filsell
Yesterday WOMADelaide 2022 finished their fourth and final day of celebrations with some of this year’s most exciting artists. The city hardly felt like autumn, with bright and sunny skies gracing the Adelaide’s Botanic Park. The day kicked off with free yoga before Grace Barbé filled the park with tropical rhythms and reggae.
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra treated visitors to a listening experience like no other with ‘Silence’. The meditation symphony concert let audiences sit back and take a deep breath before getting back out into the festival.
Tasty food halls lined the parks filling the air with the spices of Moroccan, SriLankan, Vietnamese and Indian cuisine. It was the perfect day to grab a bite and let Elephant Sessions take you on a electronica funk journey.
If you’re someone who loves to bring these spices into the kitchen, WOMAD’s Taste The World let fans of experimental band ZÖj learn about their Israeli cuisine in an intimate setting.
The day continued with Melbourne Ska Orchestra getting the crowd up and dancing with their hybrid of calypso, rhythms and blues. 25 of Melbourne’s finest musicians hit the stage with intoxicating energy that couldn’t be contained.
Then at 4pm, the Elephant Sessions hit Stage 2. It’s been long thought that the holiday Monday (day 4) of Womadelaide is a lower key, chilled out and subdued vibe when compared with its three more earnest predecessors. It seems that someone forgot to tell Elephant Sessions, this as these Scottish highland lads proceeded to tear the roof off stage 2 in the blistering afternoon sun.
What started as a modest crowd soon built as revellers came from all directions drawn by the stomping indie folk vibes that were filling the air.
This was Elephant Sessions second time to Womad. I was lucky enough to catch them in 2018 and was an instant fan. Their fusion of trad, funk and electronica creating a truly unique sound. One that is both familiar and transportative and yet new, fresh and intriguing.
Led by Euan Smillie (fiddle), Alasdair Taylor (mandolin) the Scottish five piece (sadly missing guitarist Mark Bruce on Sunday) managed to get their crowd dancing jumping and bouncing around like they didn’t need a knee replacement driven on with heavy pulsating drum rhythm and wandering bass licks that I’m sure lead to a few sore bodies the following day.
It has been an interesting four years for the highland boys since their last visit with a some line up changes and an evolution in their sound that such things bring. There has been the addition of a more atmospheric use of synth tracks false drops and some fantastically hand raising heart pounding transitions between psy-trance electronica and floor stomping trad folk.
It’s safe to say that this left the crowd with sore feet, sweaty and puffed out but fired up with a genuine hunger to discover more of their new music and a hope that they will get to see them back here soon.
As the sun went down, Fan favourites (rightfully so) DanceNorth returned with their production Noise. The park was filled with the thunderous and rhythmic sounds of the 100 strong drum group accompanying six performers. Every beat was interpreted precisely, showcasing a deep connection with music, nature and sound.
As the latecomers streamed through the gates, Adelaide’s home grown Gravity and Other Myths showcased their WOMADelaide tailer-made performance Process. Eight performers carrying powerful lighting and sound equipment made their way through the park, immersing audiences in a journey of acrobats and physical theatre.
Local rockstars The Empty Threats captivated audiences with their blend of psychedelia, new wave and grit. Adelaide took no time in celebrating the return of dancing with crowds loosing themselves in the music.
Legends Paul Kelly and Floating Points ended the night with a bang, with audiences staying out late to celebrate every last minute of WOMADelaide 2022 and 30 years of The World’s Festival.
More News
