Very much a fixture of the independent festival scene, last weekend saw Moseley Folk & Arts Festival celebrate its twentieth anniversary. Midlands Rocks couldn’t let this landmark occasion pass us by and went along for the festivals final day that saw the usual eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary folk artists, Americana and indie favourites. Blessed with excellent weather and an idyllic setting, we witnessed some outstanding sets on the main stage from the always reliable Frank Turner and The Wonder Stuff, along with the opportunity to discover new and emerging artists such as Katacombs and Nadia Kadek. And although we were there to report on the music, it is worth pointing out that there is much more that goes on around the park during the weekend including comedy, poetry and wellness activities.
Not long after midday, singer-songwriter Nadia Kadek opened up the main stage and was welcomed by a respectable crowd. She only released her debut EP Green Car at the end of 2025, but this was an assured performance with plenty of lyrical raw emotion and delicate acoustic melodies across songs dealing with love, change and healing. Over on the second stage, named after much missed festival compere Janice Long, carpenter turned musician Katacombs shifted the atmosphere with her dark lo-fi musings complete with suitably husky delivery. As an American now based in London, she confessed a love of Tunnock’s Tea Cakes inspired ‘Heaven Is…’, and by the time her set concluded with the captivating ‘You Will Not’, there was no doubting she is a rare talent that seems destined for bigger things.
Having played at the very first Moseley Folk, Jacqui McShee’s Pentangle are back here twenty years later. Still fronting a version of the band she helped form back in 1967, McShee & co rolled back the years with their crossover folk-jazz lighting up the main stage. Old favourites ‘Wedding Dress’ and ‘Light Flight’ rounded out an accomplished and enjoyable set. After the energetic Goblin Band, it was time for some sea shanty sing-a-longs courtesy of The Longest Johns, including of course their viral hit ‘Wellerman’ that saw the maritime favourite inspire all manner of parodies and copycats a few years back. Very much music that is designed to bring a smile to the face, the Bristolians are proving to be firm live favourites. Sunday is also the day of Moseley’s colourful and vibrant procession, with masked characters and symbolic giant corn dolly making their way around the site. As always, there was much crowd participation and enjoyment to mark the changing of the seasons.
It has been forty years since The Wonder Stuff exploded onto the alternative rock scene and went on to become chart topping legends. They kicked off with ‘Red Berry Joy Town’, the very first song from debut album The Eight Legged Groove Machine, and delivered a high quality, crowd pleasing set that was basically one banging anthem after another. You simply can’t go wrong with the likes of ‘Don’t Let Me Down, Gently’, ‘A Wish Away’, ‘ The Size of a Cow’ and ‘Unbearable’, the latter dedicated by Miles Hunt to Janice Long who was one of the first DJ’s to play the Stuffies on BBC Radio. The only complaint was that Hunt talked so much they had to cut one song from the set, but as they concluded with ‘Ten Trenches Deep’ this was another reminder that The Wonder Stuff remain one of the most engaging live bands around.
Frank Turner then duly arrived and did what Frank Turner does best. With just his guitar, voice, and the accompaniment of Matt Nasir on mandolin, Turner raised the bar and had the crowd singing along to his every word. The connection that he generates with an audience is truly something special, and from the time he launched into ‘If Ever I Stray’ to the closing ‘I Still Believe’ just over an hour later, it was simply outstanding. Of course it helped that he has some terrific songs at his disposal from ‘The Real Damage’, a hangover number from his youth, to the anti-fascist ‘1933’ and tender love ballad ‘The Way I Tend To Be’. Dusting off a Queen classic a day after what would have been Freddie Mercury’s 80th birthday, Frank and Matt somehow managed to pull off Freddie’s multi-harmony call and response gospel anthem ‘Somebody To Love’, complete with sparkling mandolin solo, that was equal parts bonkers, outrageous and brilliant.
Local folk ensemble The Destroyers are regulars here at Moseley and are another act that appeared at the inaugural event back in 2006. This time around, they rounded out the second stage with their upbeat tunes, highlighted by clarinet, trombone, flute, violin and more. The final set of the weekend was by Canadian quartet The Dead South, their sound a blend of country, folk, rock and bluegrass, with banjo and cello prominent throughout. Narrative storytelling provides the theme for many of their songs, with the forceful ‘In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company’ and infamous ‘Banjo Odyssey’ providing an explosive finale.
The importance of festivals such as Moseley Folk & Arts to the independent and grassroots music scene cannot be overstated, and it refreshing to see that it continues to go from strength to strength. The atmosphere is very welcoming and there is a real sense of community spirit across the park. Every year the organisers bring together a discerning line-up that offers something for everybody and at twenty years and counting, there will surely be much many more days like this to enjoy in the years ahead.
Frank Turner Setlist:-
If Ever I Stray
Do One
The Real Damage
Girl From the Record Shop
The Road
1933
Recovery
The Opening Act of Spring
The Way I Tend to Be
Plain Sailing Weather
Photosynthesis
Get Better
Somebody to Love
I Still Believe
The Dead South Setlist:-
20 Mile Jump
Son of Ambrose
Time for Crawlin’
That Bastard Son
Black Lung
A Little Devil
Broken Cowboy
The Dead South
In Hell I’ll Be in Good Company
Honey You
Clemency
Travellin’ Man
Banjo Odyssey
