Hole in The Wall Review – Loddington Farm

Words and pictures by Jayson Worsfold (Homebug Photography). Edited by Phil Knoxville.

Making my way through the windy country lanes, I find myself walking with haste to the remote location on Loddington farm. The farm is situated somewhere about 10/15-minute drive from Maidstone town centre. Despite the short walk from my home, this feels like an extra-long one, as I am filled with excitement for tonight’s line up.

The sessions are a side event brought to you by John Wingate, who has given us ‘The Blue Reef Festival’ for the last few years. These events have seen some big names from the music world perform there. Including iconic rock band Reef and 90’s stars Top loader. This year the festival is also hosting Starsailor, Scouting for Girls and Dodgy.

John has a noticeably big story to tell in his life. He was swallowed by a wood cutting machine, died and came out of the other side. “Life is too short and if you are passionate about it… Get it!”. John’s passion for music is the force behind the ‘Blue Reef Festival.’ You can hear more about John’s story here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/g3X9WK6f3s2epUej/

Tonight’s main act is James Walsh from the iconic band Starsailor. A band that stamped their mark in the music world in the 1990’s. With great vocals and strong lyrics, Starsailor still embark on tours supporting other great performers like Blondie. They are also headlining this year’s Blue Reef Festival.

From Coast to Coast

First performer to the stage was Sam Brothers. Sam is a great performer who, before his slot, was joking about neck braces for blues harps. “I have a few but some of my fellow performers have some that look like medieval torture devices!” After seeing him take his place centre stage, it’s easy to see why he made these comments.

After attaching his capo to the neck of his guitar, he raised his hands up and introduced himself. “Hi ladies and gents I am Sam Brothers. Some people ask where my Brothers are?” With this he let out a giggle and began a brilliant set of music. Sam shared stories about his woes in life and the experiences of moving from coast to coast.

Sam played some covers, but most of his stuff is original and clever. Between songs we were given an artistic glimpse into Sam’s amazing guitar playing and artistic ability. Sam asked if anyone wanted to hear any Moroccan influenced music? Depending on what mood he was in, this could last minutes or hours, “Buckle up!” Song after song, Sam explained in depth tales from his old lives and old abodes. He also told how the next song was written in Margate. Not exactly the world’s best beauty spot, it made way perfectly for his song ‘Port of Salvation.’

Words of Wisdom

Next up was Samuel Ashton, who praised Sam Brothers and paid tribute to sharing a stage with James Walsh.

With just an acoustic guitar and a little tuning, Samuel’s first song out of the bag is ‘Rolling Stone.’ Ashton’s voice rang off the new stage walls, raising a few smiles and a few gushes from the audience. The one thing to love about Samuel is he is knowledgeable like a wise owl. He also has an incredible voice like a dawn chorus. Samuel is also caring and deeply passionate. Tonight’s first words of wisdom were that “We’re all Angels and we need to stop fighting and be there for each other.” He’s not wrong.

Before one of my favourites ‘Breath Easy’, Samuel asked the audience to guess what he was drinking in his bottle. If anyone could guess, he would rightfully buy them a pint of whatever they wanted. The audience’s willingness to wrestle Ashton into digging deep in his pocket for a pint was rather entertaining! For the record, it was herbal tea with ginger and honey.

Four to the Floor

Headline act was the brilliant James Walsh. Playing a full acoustic set to promote his new E.P ‘Renewal’, due out in September 2024. The first song he pulled from ‘Renewal’ was ‘Strangers at a Bar.’ This was a fantastic song that turned every head. It also perfectly encapsulated the dark night that was setting in with the captivating atmosphere.

Music | James Walsh (bandcamp.com)

Between songs James gave out advice on making a name for yourself. “You’ve got to get your name out there. It’s all about making a name for yourself, about being in the game. It’s never easy!”. The audience were putty in James’ hands. People were singing, cheering and shouting out the next song they’d like to hear! There was a subtle pause, then he broke into ‘Way to fall!’. “Anyone over 40 will know this one!” he beamed.

James’ set really came to life when he played some Starsailor classics. Walsh powered through ‘Poor Misguided Fool’, ‘Alcoholic’ and a personal favourite of mine ‘Four to the Floor’. Vocally James is breathtaking. This is never more apparent than on the classic Simon and Garfunkel song ‘Homeward bound’. A song that had all the feels of the original.

As we headed into the home straight, James checked on the bar stock making sure the IPA was still available. Out of respect for the singer, one of the frequent attendees placed a pint on the stage for him. James then finished with ‘Silence is Easy’, sending everyone home satisfied.

Overall, it was a perfect night of contemporary music from all three singers. A mix of new tunes and nostalgia, which made for a night of brilliant entertainment.