Electric Picnic 2011 - Willy Mason
Main Stage, Friday 2nd September, 4.20pm
Describe in a Tweet: The Lone Mason casually waltz back into our lives...
What Happened: Willy Mason hasn't been in our lives for a while, releasing his last album four years ago, so we approach the stage expecting a good chunk of new material to test the crowd. Instead, tune after bluesy tune pleased the laid back afternoon crowd, who are totally forgiving of the stripped back solo performance on the rather big main stage. His relaxed nature on stage, and his tiny amp, make it feel like we are eavesdropping on somebody's living room jam, but it brings a respect rarely seen at major festivals. Songs like 'Save Myself', 'Gotta Keep Moving' and 'Hard Hand To Hold' see Mason trade on his old songs, and only when he dedicates a song for his father do we hear something new. But it's no bad thing - Mason's performance draws you in with his melodies that seem much older than him or anybody else in this field, displaying an original twists on those instinctual folky blues song forms.
Good Fortune: That voice that is woven with character and demands respect and the singalong lullaby social poetry of 'Oxygen'.
Evil: As captivating as Mason is solo, on such a big stage the set does yearn for a change in pace and dynamics that a full band could add.
EP rating: 7/10
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