It somehow seems fitting that Cornbury, a peculiarly British rock festival, where Morris Dancers rub shoulders with rock stars in the rolling Oxfordshire countryside, should play host to a reformed Faces, that most British of rock bands. Fitting, too, that the Faces should be preceded by a typically individualistic performance, full of wit and empathy, by Rod Stewart’s old schoolmate Ray Davies.
Indeed, throughout the afternoon rumours circulated that Stewart himself may take to the stage with guitarist Ronnie Wood, Ian McLagan on keyboards, drummer Kenny Jones and Sex Pistol Glen Matlock on bass. Sadly, none of the helicopters landing in this green and pleasant valley disgorged Rod Stewart, so hats off to whoever suggested Simply Red frontman Mick Hucknall, who reprises his role as replacement Rod.
From the opening bars of “Miss Judy’s Farm”, it’s clear that in Hucknall the band have found a singer capable of not only hitting the incredibly high notes required by many Faces’ compositions, but someone who seems happy to be in the band, rather than a hired show-off. Besides, on this evening’s evidence, Ronnie Wood already has that role sewn-up into his scarlet jacket and drainpipes – and who would begrudge him? Wood seems a decade younger on stage than he does anywhere else and never more so than on “Had Me A Real Good Time”.
“Bad ‘N’ Ruin”, “Too Bad” and “Flying” left no one in any doubt that this reunion was long overdue.Hucknall’s moment came with a searing delivery of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed”, which contained more thrills in three minutes than its composer has managed in as many decades, before Wood seized the microphone for old favourite and crowd-pleaser “Ooh La La”.
By this time, Hucknall had more than earned a brief respite. Small Faces numbers followed, “Tin Soldier” and “All or Nothing”, before “Pool Hall Richard” proved that a classic song will never age as quickly as the fans who originally bought it. Many of these fans had long since struggled from their folding picnic chairs in various degrees of distress – the day was a scorcher and the beer more-or-less affordable – and remained on their feet for the finale. It could only be “Stay With Me” and, sung by Hucknall, it remains a belter. For anyone under the age of 50, this was a masterclass in how to rock ‘n’ roll properly. The rest of the crowd probably don’t wish to remember when they last moved with such agility. Real fans probably can’t remember
