I rushed to throw my pop up tent amongst the sea of other brightly coloured temporary dwellings. It was up in 3 seconds, just like Quechua says on the tin (nylon). Unceremoniously I chucked in my bags, poured a large glass of red and legged it down to Port Eliot church with my eldest daughter. That was where I first saw The Staves and for me it was an epiphany. Framed by the enormous stained glass windows of the church, the three sisters; Emily, Jessica and Camilla’s enchanting harmonies gently lulled the audience into silence. The Staves were alluring, the audience mesmerised. That was then, a perfect start to Port Eliot Festival 2012.
And this is now, (shortly before the time of writing). I received an invite from Nokia Music to a not so secret Lumia Live gig by The Staves at the hidden hut. That evening we found ourselves eating bowls of paella cooked to perfection at the hidden hut’s supper club, with a seemingly endless supply of wine, all courtesy of Nokia. After dinner we all strolled down to the beach and perched on the rocks to hear The Staves perform. I don’t know if those angelic voices brought tears from heaven, I’m spiritual but not a religious man. Basically it pissed down and we all ran for cover. Taking shelter under a couple of gazebos we were entertained by The Staves as they sang their beautiful songs from the hidden hut’s kitchen.
Later they joined us under the gazebos and to much drunken heckling sang for us some more. It was a wonderful experience.