Atmosphere: Muted, no thanks to a surprisingly scant crowd. Matt Ward probably isn't used to such a small crowd, particularly at festivals - but the couple of hundred people that cluster together in the Crawdaddy stage to see the male constituent of She & Him won't have noticed, given the chorus of chatterers pinging around the tent.
It's not the only thing engulfing Ward's smoky blues-folk, though; the thumping bass from next door's bar prompts the visibly annoyed singer to snarl “Is there a disco upstairs?”.
Although a highly proficient guitarist, Ward's subtle tunes seem lost in translation in a festival setting, leading to an underwhelming set, although not for want of trying. Perhaps a full band would have made for a louder, grittier performance.
High: That gorgeously textured voice - unfortunately underused
Low: The thud of bass from the bar outside drowning out Ward's sound. What
gives?
Quote: "Is there a disco upstairs?"
Verdict: Could have been better.
Star rating: ***