As we walked in to the arena on Friday afternoon we were greeted by a sound that made our ears prick up with excitement. As we followed the sound to the Riverside Stage we were greeted by 4 guys from South London playing good old dirty Rock N Roll, with guitars and amps set to 11 it was clear to see these guys have a place in the rock food chain. Skinny Machines fronted by Jim Stapley were on stage giving all they had for the cause, it’s so refreshing to see a band absolutely love what they do and boy do they do it well….. There will be another time for us

With a short walk to the Pleasant Valley stage, we were off to see something totally different to Skinny Machines and much better looking (sorry guys). Pixie Lott emerged from the side of the stage with the biggest smile on her face and the highest heels on her feet. She was dressed for the summer and with flowers in her hair she kept the audience dancing all the way through her set, she even did a Motown medley of some of her favourite songs from that era. Keeping her younger fans happy she played some of her best known “chart” songs. ‘Young Foolish Happy’ got the biggest cheer.

Next up on the Riverside Stage was Northern Ireland’s Relish, the trio are made up of brothers Ken & Carl Papenfus and Darren Campbell. Playing songs from their top selling albums ‘Wildflowers’ & ‘Karma Calling’ they quickly gain the respect of their hay bale sitting audience. With jangly guitars and a rhythm section to keep every head nodding the band keep the momentum up throughout their set, lead singer Ken has a stunning voice that will only take this band nearer to the stardom they deserve.

The Waterboys have been playing festivals since the early eighties and I saw them at Glastonbury in 1986, and not much has changed. They still play their very own brand of folk rock and mighty well too. Mike Scott has a stage presence that mesmerises the audience and you end up following his every move across the stage, with his faithful fiddle player Steve Wickham at his side, The Waterboys can do no wrong in the eyes or ears of the audience. As usual the biggest cheer of any Waterboys set is the opening chords of ‘The Whole of the Moon’ and a great sing along is had by all.

Alison Moyet is a superstar and her very presence on the Songbird Stage sends the crowd into rapturous applause, her image has changed somewhat over the years from the early days of Yazoo. Gone is the dark overcoat and monkey boots to be replaced by a sophisticated looking middle aged woman but the incredible voice remains the same. Full of power she sings her way through her back catalogue with ease helped along by the enthusiastic crowd.

We found ourselves in the Absolute Comedy Emporium by complete accident but so pleased we did, first up was MC Jarred Christmas, rude and crude and very, very funny he set the scene for the other comedians, we witnessed Tim Key and his amazing poems and another stint from Jarred Christmas with all the laughing and drinking it was definitely time for bed.

Saturday morning sees the sun shining over the beautiful Great Tew estate but unfortunately it wasn’t too last long. First up on the main stage was The International Ukulele Club of Sonning Common, dressed in pink this 40 strong collective set about entertaining the crowd with their very own brand of cover songs and stories from all over the world, what a great way to start a day at a festival.

With a cold beer from the bar it was time to go and see one of Cornbury’s favourite’s Danny and the Champions of the World with their catchy indie songs and all-round good time feel, they set about their business with great gusto. Playing songs from their latest album ‘Hearts & Arrows’ you can see why they are being tipped for the top.

The Brickwork Lizards are a band like no other. The eight piece from Oxford play Arabic, Jazz and Blues music with a bit of spoken word too. They are given the chance to shine on the Riverside Stage and they take every moment as does the sun.  A big crowd has gathered for their performance and they aren’t disappointed by what they hear. Getting a 45 minute set at a festival of this size counts for something and I’m sure we will be seeing a lot more of them on the circuit, well worth watching if you get the chance.

As the rain starts to fall again it’s off to the Comedy Emporium again for what is sure to be a laugh, Jarred Christmas is in full swing and asks the audience to give their best party trick an airing on the Emporium stage – this turns out to be the best Cornbury’s got talent show ever, we get Moon Walkers, Toe Jumpers, Handstands, Walking on Hands, A Fist fitted into a mouth, a Tongue touching a nose but best of all had to be watching a member of the audience and Jarred sparring like caterpillars. With the talent show over with we get to see some of the best comedians around, Wit Tank are 3 guys who do a whole load of sketches, Pat Cahill and his home made microphone stand and his songs about dying pets. Norwegian Daniel Simonsen has the tent in fits of laughter as he describes his cats throwing up techniques. The comedy tent is a great addition to any festival and gives a great alternative to music. It is also a very good place to hide from the rain.

Aloe Blacc wows the main stage audience with his soulful voice and his good looks, he really has Motown in his soul and as he plays ‘I Need A Dollar’ the crowd go wild. Macy Gray is another soulful singer and with her husky voice it’s very hard to not listen and enjoy her music, she keeps the audience engaged with every song and her big hit ‘I Try’ is the stand out song of the set.

Newton Faulkner is worthy of his headline status on the Songbird Stage, his music is written for long sunny summer days, the weather doesn’t matter as we are treated to a wonderful set. Accompanied by his guitar he sets about showcasing songs from his new album.  Current single ‘Clouds’ is given the full Cornbury welcome as is ‘Gone in the morning’

Elvis Costello is a national treasure and it is a testament to the organisers that they have managed to get him back again. Dressed in a pin stripe suit and straw hat he is the ultimate in cool. ‘Watching the Detectives’, ‘ A Good year For The Roses’, ‘I Can’t stand Up For Falling Down’, ‘Everyday  I Write The Book’, the hits just keep coming. He doesn’t talk much to the audience apart from warning them about ‘Un-Savoury Characters’ hanging around, he was in fact talking about David Cameron who had made an appearance at the festival that afternoon. Finishing with crowd favourites ‘Pump it Up’, ‘Oliver’s Army’ and ‘Peace, Love & Understanding’, what a show from one of the best acts we will see all summer.    

Sunday morning brings blue skies and grey clouds to the festival arena, the children’s activities are in full swing with bubbles and hula hoops everywhere, we do the adult thing and go in search of food. We come across ‘The Real Meat Sausage Co.’ situated at the top of the arena, we queue for  our ‘breakfast in a roll’ and at £4 including tea has to be the best value for money we have spent at a festival for a long, long time.

First music of the day for us was the wonderful Police Dog Hogan on the Songbird Stage, playing to a bigger crowd than last year they set about giving the crowd a performance to remember. Front man James Studholme talks to the crowd a lot during the song breaks, he even thanks Cornbury director Huw Phillimore for not booking them against another high profile act (last year they were up against Ray Davis). The band play with lots of energy especially fiddle player Eddie Bishop, bringing a new song into the set they manage to mess up the ending but ask the crowd for forgiveness and the chance to play it again and much to the delight of the crowd and band they finish the song as intended. A great band that are doing the festival rounds this year, make sure you check them out.

Nine Below Zero have been around for years and are (and proved to be) a great live band, there are not many bands around today that can play the blues the way NBZ do. Lead guitarist / lead singer Dennis Greaves and Harmonica player Mark Feltham formed the band in 1979 and plenty of the songs they played were on their first few albums, timeless classics I believe they are called. ‘11+11’ & ‘Don’t point your finger at the Guitar Man’ were the stand out tracks from that era, a cover of ‘Madison Blues’ who is dedicated to ‘Seasick Steve’ had every member of the crowd dancing and singing along. A must see if you get the chance.

Seasick Steve is another legend to grace the fine fields of Oxfordshire this weekend, with his guitars in tow he has the ability to silence any crowd and make them listen to what he has to play. Dressed in his usual checked shirt and jeans he sets about entertaining the huge crowd that has gathered before him.  Drinking wine from the bottle, telling stories of backstage interviews and places he has been and things he has seen he even sings the odd song or two. The man is a pure entertainer and his show is definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.

Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra are the perfect act to close any festival, his good time ‘Boogie Woogie’ music keeps the crowd dancing all the way through his set. Sitting at his grand piano Jools Holland conducts his fellow band members through their songs with much ease, speaking to the audience at almost every opportunity he cracks the odd joke but essentially tonight is about the music, his music. What a great way to end the festival.

Cornbury is a great family friendly festival!  It had a great line up with something for everyone. This year’s festival will be hard to beat next year, but I’m sure the organisers with try. They have a great venue, a great view on what a family festival is and how it should be run. Will definitely be back next year for more of the same.  

Aloe Blacc & Seasick Steve by Tracy Morter. To see more of Tracy's photos click here    

Review and all other pictures Andy Jamieson