SOUND + V I S ION
21-23 APRIL
SOUND + VISION FESTIVAL WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN CAMBRIDGE – MIRIAM BALANESCU MEETS THE LOCAL TALENT GETTING INVOLVED
cross the summer months, there is a cascade of music festivals coming, from the classical compilations of Cambridge
Music Festival, to the soulful flows of the Cambridge Folk Festival. But it’s rare to host a carnival of song in the heart of the city, let alone one that marries the best of regional and international pop and comedy. Sound + Vision does exactly that. Its earlier iteration was Norwich Sound and Vision, founded and directed by Adrian Cooke. Running for 11 years so far, it counts kick-starting the careers of Mercury Prize nominees Royal Blood and Let’s Eat Grandma – both of whom were signed at the festival – among its successes. Sound + Vision hopes to do the same in Cambridge. “Norwich seemed to be underachieving with music in terms of marketing itself to the rest of the country,” Adrian explains, adding that he has noticed the same of Cambridge. “The city is dwarfed by the university, but there’s a lot of interesting little pockets of creative activity people aren’t quite aware of. The festival celebrates what’s already here, but gives the city more confidence in its own innovative identity.” Sound + Vision brings a battalion of comedy brilliance at the behest of co-founder Ruth Cousens, who is also a committee member running Cambridge
Fringe Comedy Festival (the festival’s partner). Since many of Sound + Vision’s venues – Cambridge Junction, The Portland Arms, The Blue Moon, Storey’s Field Centre, The Boathouse and Thirsty – double as comedy stages, the match made perfect sense. The event brings together established talent alongside industry newbies, all with fresh music to showcase. Liz Lawrence, Tim Burgess and Kristin Hersh will be joined by Peaness, Lemondaze and Mumble Tide. At the comedy end, Rosie Jones, Felicity Ward and Nick Helm will headline the Junction; while Micky Overman, Michael Akadiri and Isy Suttie’s shows promise proper belly laughs. “We will be looking to get more new artists through over the next three to five years, whether musicians or comedians, because they will have the confidence to do it,” says Adrian. The plan is to stoke the passions of potential creatives – the Sound + Vision conferences in music and comedy hope to drive a new generation of performers. “This is not your traditional festival. Most are all about entertainment, but this is also focused on inspiration and discovery.”
THE PLAN IS TO STOKE THE PASSIONS OF CREATIVES
DON’T MISS ALI WARWOOD
Founder of the Cambridge Fringe, this Walsall native is a mental health nurse by day, comedian by night. She started out in 2013 at Bad Kat Comedy Cambridge. “I was raised by a very funny family – we’ve always been silly and loved making people laugh,” Ali explains. “Most people from the West Midlands are like that.” After seeing Cambridge voted least-equal city two years in a row, she decided to start a free Fringe Festival. “It’s like curating a music playlist, considering a good mix of styles and characters. We are so lucky in this country, there are so many brilliant comedians!” She will be part of a mixed-bill LGBTQIA+ stand-up in the show Can’t Even Think Straight .
42 APR I L 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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