Saturday night at Paléo was another night for music nostalgia with Joan Baez, Patti Smith and Robert Plant part of the line up. Despite the early time slot of 19:00, Joan Baez attracted a large crowd in front of the main stage and they were treated to a mixture of classic songs from her own repertoire and from other artists. She sang songs by Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, she addressed the crowd in French, sang in French and in Spanish, and her clear voice rang out across the grounds. She later went on to duet with Patti Smith on the the Arches stage.
Above - Joan Baez in concert
However, Paléo is not just about bringing the big, well known names to the L'Asse grounds, it also encourages new and upcoming artists and in particular, it likes to showcase Swiss artists. Tiziano Zandonella alias "Yellowteeth" (originally from Sion), played the club tent with a mixture of folk, blues and country and a slightly melancholic sound to an appreciative audience. An artist to watch out for.
A complete contrast over in the Detour tent was the rap and freestyle of 20 year old French star Sianna, who got the tent jumping early on in her set.
Robert Plant is an established name and part of the Rock and Roll hall of fame yet is still experimenting with new music, and like Joan Baez before him he attracted a massive crowd with his band the Sensational Space Shifters in front of the Grande Scène. He gave an eclectic set from blues to rock, including the sound of the riti, a one stringed fiddle from the Gambia played by artist Juldeh Camara.
Scenes below from the Paléo grounds, a festival goer sketching the Joan Baez concert, the street theatre musicians in the sunflower field, a mechanical bird moving around the crowd and surprising some of them! Also, away from the main stages if you want to see and hear a radio star in his own country broadcasting live, head off to the area where "Dynacord" (the most listened to presenter on Radio Ndeke Luka Radio in the Central African Republic), will be broadcasting live from the Fondation Hirondelle Tent at Paléo. This association is a Swiss non-governmental organization of journalists and humanitarian aid professionals which since 1995 has been creating or supporting independent, civic-minded news media and radio stations in conflict, post-conflict and crisis zones. The tent can be found amongst the other NGO associations tents near the Forum (see map here)
Finally, if you haven't got tickets for tonight's Paléo and maybe just want to experience a bit of the atmosphere and watch the fireworks, why not head off to the Pl'Asse? It's a halfway house between the festival proper and the campsite, and is a free festive area open to the public every day. In addition to craft and food stalls, there are a variety of forms of entertainment on site and it is open from 11:00. to 04:00 the following morning. If you fancy a cup of tea and some Welsh cakes while you are up there, check out stand number 832 !
All photos above and below - C Nelson-Pollard