WOMAD 2019 - day 1

Blip tells me it's five years since I was last at WOMAD - longer than I thought. Perhaps that gap was what enabled me to see all the wealth and privilege (mine included) on the field or perhaps it has become more marked in that time. There was unaffordable glamping last time I came and an outrageously-priced spa, but there weren't two classes of water (mains for free or filtered which you could access if you bought a fob). I know it's about stopping people buying bottled water but even so...

There were plenty of interesting bands on but I felt detached and neither very engaged in the music nor very interested in taking pictures. Not even being able to sing along to Ziggy Marley's dad's songs could kick-start me into festival mood.

Les Filles de Illighadad were a surprise - I hadn't expected Tuareg women to be touring music. Predictably they reminded me of Tinariwen.

Rura got the closest to dragging me in.