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Bellowhead began with a spotlight picking out a lone man in a dark suit. He played the bagpipes, filling the cavernous room with a single haunting refrain. “Ooh!” said the woman in front of me, “It’s like the interval act at Eurovision!” “Hmm,” I thought. I was new to this band but intrigued by the idea of an 11-piece contemporary folk band with a brass section. The idea sounded interesting. The actual band sounded twee, contrived and without grit, I thought. But given there were hundreds of people filling the Pavilion Theatre, both old and young, and with and without beards, who were having a whale of a time, I am probably wrong. They must have been brilliant. There was a bit where a bloke with a massive mandolin somehow did a Jimi Hendrix wah-wah guitar riff. I liked that bit.

Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome,
11 November
Rating:
Jim Holland

Toumani Diabate is considered one of the greatest living kora players, so it was exciting to see him in person, and the performance did not disappoint. On some numbers the bass lines pulsed like a heartbeat, on others they were driving, while the melody notes tinkled like sleigh bells and water over the top with hints of blues and jazz. The music was even more impressive after Diabate gave the audience a lesson in how to play the kora (not easy!). The instrument sounds like a whole band in itself, and he played several unaccompanied tunes, but he also had a tasteful backing band and there were excellent collaborations with a couple of local friends, as well as the lead singer of support band Revere.

Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome,
13 November 2011
Rating:
Jenni Davidson

A preponderance of sound poets helped make Colour Out Of Space’s final day end with more whimperings than bangs. Helping to shatter the respectful atmosphere were howling guitar & vocal duo Ninni Morgia & Silvia Kastel, warped vocal irritant Vom Grill and electronic violinist Dog Lady. Vinyl Terror & Horror’s multiplying combinations of turntable towers and broken records was an impressive display of alternate universe Deejaying. Having spent the weekend both berating and encouraging their fellow noise artists, the extended Laundry Room Squelchers family delivered an energetic headline set of psych, hurling their bodies into a finally flagging crowd.

The Old Market, 13 November
Rating:
Stuart Huggett

Leaving the film and discussion strands back in Colour Out Of Space’s previous Sallis Benney home, The Old Market proved to be a far rowdier venue for the festival’s international performance programme this weekend. Axe hero poses aside, Jozef Van Wissem’s intricate lute compositions were the calm before the storm of tonight’s busy, boisterous events. Raionbashi & Dylan Nyoukis’ intense appearance turned the tables on the camera-wielding crowd, as a blindfolded figure photo-flashed his way around the darkened auditorium. Finally, Bren’t Lewiis Ensemble concealed their public reappearance by triggering daft samples, balloons and party poppers from beneath a sheet.

The Old Market,
12 November
Rating:
Stuart Huggett