Real World

"Other current obsession is Mamer Eagle. Astounding eastern music. Never heard anything like it. Wonderful."

We've added day by day and stage by stage performance lists and timetables to the Charlton Park information - see who's on when and where.

New today from Real World Records and available in our store on CD, MP3 and Apple Lossless download. CD buyers get a free MP3 download of the album to ensure instant gratification. CD quality downloads are only £5.99.

"A stunning album ... really atmospheric." Tom Robinson BBC 6 Music.

For those of you not on the mailing list, the latest Real World Records newsletter is now available to read on-line.

Peter talks about progress on his 'scratch my back' covers project, with Bob Ezrin and John Metcalf both in the studio to work on the project. We get a report on the success of the recent WOMAD Abu Dhabi where Robert Plant made a special guest appearance with Justin Adams and Juldeh Camera whose new Real World Records release Tell No Lies is out on May 11th.

Peter gives a mention to the many Real World Records artists are to be found playing live at venues around the world in the coming months, amongst whom is Mamer, a singer/songwriter who was raised in Xinjiang, one of ten children for whom singing and playing the two-string dombra lute was as much a part of life as sunrise.

A couple of little clips of Spiro handheld on a Canon 5D Mk11 at The Bell in Bath. They saw nothing but room for improvement in their performance and I'm pretty sure the cameraman had a beer in his other hand, but it's a glimpse of a mesmerising performance.

"There was a potential clash of cultures when Womad staged the first pop music festival in the Gulf - but the event quickly found its rhythm and proved a popular hit, reports Ian Birrell from Abu Dhabi"

"The last night belonged to two men. First up was Robert Plant, playing as special guest of his friend and guitarist Justin Adams and the Gambian griot Juldeh Camara. Plant was in imperious form, with three Led Zeppelin songs in a nine-song set : "Four Sticks", "Rock and Roll" and a rapid-fire "Whole Lotta Love". The single-string of Camara's ritti was weirdly discordant, adding an intriguing new element to the songs. Best of all was the makeshift band's cover of Leadbelly's "Black Girl", slowed down to the point whereby it teetered on the edge of disintegration, bringing out the full malevolence with spine-tingling passion.

Watching Plant perform, it seemed rather admirable that he turned down vast sums to retread old footsteps in favour of continuing to explore the music that has inspired him throughout his life in all its myriad forms. He was rewarded with screams from the audience - a sound not often heard at Womad festivals, let alone in the Gulf - and women holding banners saying that if he wanted a whole lotta love, invite the holders on stage. It proved old rockers can remain revolutionaries."

Ian Birrell from Abu Dhabi in The Independent

WOMAD Abu Dhabi, a three-day festival, opened in the capital last night with flashes, bangs and pounding, pulsating beats.