So much more than simply a music festival, Static Roots, since its launch in 2016, has created a community of like-minded people, both performers and punters, young and not so young, and growing each year steadily, who arrive in Oberhausen from Canada, The United States, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Scotland, England, Scandinavia and various locations in Germany to assemble for what has become a 'not to be missed' gathering.
Demand was so high for tickets this year that founder and curator Dietmar Leibecke had to relocate to a larger venue. Punters who may have feared that the shift might have had a negative impact need not have worried. The event simply moved to a larger hall in the same complex at Zentrum Altenberg, which in a previous life was a bustling zinc factory in the industrial town of Oberhausen.
Thursday 10th July
Another addition to previous years was the introduction of a 'Welcome Night', held on Thursday evening at Gdanska, a restaurant and music venue in the town, to cater to the numerous punters who traditionally arrive a day before the festival kicks off. The themed ‘Honky Tonk Special' kicked off the festival in 'knees up' style with UK country kickers Dom Glynn & His Sunday Best and Californian Savannah Gardner & The Recovering Good Girls.
Friday 11th July
The annual Friday Static Roots tour offers the opportunity for a cultural experience each year, and this year's tour was a visit to the most famous cinema in Germany. Located in Essen, The Lichtburg is the country's largest movie theatre with a capacity of one thousand and two hundred and fifty seats and a one hundred and fifty square feet screen. Lunch followed, which included music by Michele Stodart accompanied by David Ford on guitar. Next up was a visit to Dietmar's wife and daughter, Marion and Johanna's, local bookshop Proust Words & Beauty, before being bussed back to Oberhausen to prepare for the opening day's acts.
The scheduled opening act was Nashville-based Todd Day Late, but traffic congestion resulted in his slot being taken by Kilkenny's The Southern Fold. Ireland's best-kept secret current line-up is frontman and founder Emyln Holden, his co-vocalist Madeleine Leclezio, Stephen Doohan on guitar, Brian McGrath on bass, and Canadian drummer Gregor Beresford. Witnessing these guys perform their blend of rootsy alt-country on a large stage and to a hugely receptive audience is confirmation that they are equal, if not superior, to many acts in that genre that are household names in America and Europe.
The delayed arrival, rush to the venue and wardrobe change had little effect on Todd Day Wait and his band. Recalling the classic sound of Merle Haggard, his laid-back and 'real' country set was a breath of fresh air. A special mention for Italian pedal steel genius Flavio Pasquetto, whose sublime playing was a master class in 'less is more.'
French songstress BOBBIE was the first French artist to ever play at the festival, and it was also her first time to play in Germany. Her gorgeous vocals perfectly suited her setlist that crisscrossed between soulful numbers and well-crafted pop songs. No stranger to the festival, Peter Bruntnell's blistering performance in 2017 earned him a recall this year. Never one to disappoint, Peter and his band recreated that energy, passion and brilliance once more, dipping into his back catalogue together with selections from his latest album, HOUDINI & THE SUCKER PUNCH. Canadian seven-piece dynamic band Bywater Call took the closing slot on Friday. The perfect act to 'send them home sweating,' and fronted by powerhouse vocalist Meghan Parnell, their set was soulful, funky and brought the house down.
Saturday 12th July
Saturday's festivities started with an informative and relaxed event titled Women of Americana. Following the success of a similar event last year when Willy Vlautin was interviewed by Nick West, on this occasion, radio journalist Christine Heise addressed the many issues that women still face in the industry, discussing the issues with three women due to perform later in the day. The three, Hayley Rearden, Pearl Charles, and Michele Stodart, spoke freely and articulately about the hurdles they consistently have to overcome in what still remains a male-dominated industry.
Scandinavian acts have been represented repeatedly in recent years at the festival, and this year's act to tick that box was Embla & The Karidotters. The Norwegian five-piece band's debut album HELLO, I'M EMBLA won them a Spellemann award (Norway's Grammys) as country album of the year. That album featured prominently in their set of melodic pop/ country crossover, which represented the Nordicana genre with flying colours.
Static Roots has, on several occasions over the years, featured magical sets from unexpected sources and often lesser-known acts. This year's accolade goes to Massachusetts-born Hayley Reardon. Despite previously sharing stages with Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell, and Anaïs Mitchell, Hayley remains relatively unknown in Europe. That will no doubt be corrected following her spellbound performance of deeply emotive alt-folk, which was elevated by the superb flamenco guitar skills of her musical partner, Barcelona's Pau Figueres.
A pointer towards the diversity of the music on offer was to follow. After that spellbinding set of beautifully crafted and delivered songs from Hayley Reardon, the knees-up and toe-tapping sounds from Minneapolis-based modern bluegrass band Pert Near Sandstone raised the tempo. Instrument switching and shared vocals and mics were the order of the day in their rousing showcase of original and traditional songs.
Following her recent performance at Glastonbury in one of her other projects as a member of The Magic Numbers, singer, songwriter, musician, producer and musical director Michele Stodart and her band's performance included material from her extensive back catalogue. She particularly tapped into selections from her excellent award-winning album from 2023, INVITATION. The icing on the cake was Pert From Sandstone's fiddle player, Ryan Young and mandolin player Nate Sipe, joining the party mid-set for two songs.
Los Angeles-born Pearl Charles' music has been described as 'Gram Parsons meets Abba', and that portrayal accurately describes her sound. Her honeyed vocals and melody-driven songs bridged the gap between traditional and modern country rock. Uncle Lucius has been front runners in the local Austin music scene for over a decade, and they lived up to their lofty reputation as a dynamic live band. Southern rock, swampy blues and gritty rock and roll were at the heart of their lively one-hour slot.
Incredibly, the closing act, The Godfathers, has been dishing out their no-nonsense rock and roll for four decades. Their lineup may have changed over that period, but founding member and frontman Peter Coyne defied those years, backed by his rocking band to bring the curtains down with a raw, edgy, punky and guitar-driven package of rock and roll with nods to The Ramones and Dr Feelgood. They closed with a storming version of their anthem, Birth, School, Work, Death, which sounded every bit as vital as it did almost forty years ago. All in all, the most appropriate act to end the festival on a blistering high note.
The lights may have dimmed in the auditorium, but outside the music continued into the early hours. Kilkenny's Small Change (Conan Doyle and Tony Cleere) had been once more been invited to lead the late-night sing-song, and a majority of the festival’s audience, alongside a number of the performing artists, joined in what was a celebration of music, friendship and community, a reflection of what this wonderful festival stands for.
Mention is also merited to the absolute attention to detail that is a constant at Static Roots. From Dietmar’s team of volunteers, the perfectly balanced sound and lighting systems, Master of Ceremonies Jeff Robson, the range of food and drinks available at very reasonable prices, and the smooth turnover of acts that result in the timetable being executed without any delays, everything worked. A not-for-profit enterprise, all the funds raised from the festival's constantly busy merch desk go to support a most worthy cause, Doctors Without Borders. Roll on Static Roots 2026!
Review and photos by Declan Culliton