It’s fair to say that Peter Knight has certainly kept himself busy through the years. He has regularly appeared in Steeleye Span’s lineup making his first appearance on their second album Please to See the King (1971). The album marked a significant change in sound from their debut Hark! The Village Wait. As well as an absence of drums two new players brought their influence to bear: Martin Carthy on electric guitar and Peter on violin; Melody Maker made it their Folk Album of the Year. He’s been in a number of other projects including the ever popular annual gathering of Feast of Fiddles – 11 musicians who have been taking to our stages for 22 years! Johnny caught one of their shows earlier this year at the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal (read the review here). Never one to place all his eggs in one basket his other projects have ranged from free jazz to classical.
But it is recent years that he has turned his primary focus to his trio Gigspanner which includes Vincent Salzfaas on percussion and Roger Flack on semi-acoustic guitar. Of all his projects Gigspanner spans more influences than all of the above combined: folk, jazz, Eastern European, French, Cajun, African and even Aboriginal. It’s not just their ability to incorporate such wide-reaching influences that gives them such an appeal, it’s also the musical chemistry between the trio on stage that leaves such a lasting impression. Whilst they have two studio albums under their belt, Lipreading the Poet (named as one of the best 15 ‘Global’ Albums of 2009 by The Wire Magazine) and their latest Layers of Ages they are a band that you’ll appreciate all the more if you see them live. If you haven’t, then now’s your chance. They are on tour through November and December and are about to released a live concert DVD, here’s a small taster:
https://youtu.be/np5t2lR8wYo
The 74 minute recording of highlights from a concert recorded at New Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth, will be available in the next few weeks at concerts and from their online shop here. Subscribe to their mailing list here to be kept in the loop on its release and all other Gigspanner news.
In the meantime, get out and see them, details below:
Tour Dates
November 2015
Wednesday 4th: The Hawth, Crawley
Thursday 5th: Kettering Arts Centre, St Andrew’s Church, Kettering
Friday 6th: The Ram Club, Thames Ditton
Saturday 7th: Trestle Arts Base, St Albans
Sunday 8th: Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, Berks
Thursday 12th: South Street Arts Centre, Reading
Friday 13th: The David Hall, South Petherton, Somerset
Saturday 14th: KidzRus Theatre, St Ives, Cornwall
Sunday 15th: Brixham Theatre, Brixham, Devon
Wednesday 18th: The Hive, Shrewsbury
Thursday 19th: Farmers Arms. Combe Florey, Somerset
Friday 20th: St Helen’s Church, Alveston, Bristol
Saturday 21st: Shutlanger Village Hall SOLD OUT
Sunday 22nd: Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, B’ham
Thursday 26th: Stables Theatre, Hastings
Friday 27th: Osmington Village Hall, Dorset
Saturday 28th: Somborne Sessions, Kings Somborne, Hants
Sunday 29th: The Fleece, Bretforton, Worcs
December 2015
Thursday 3rd: Village Hall, Lower Oddington, Glos
Friday 4th: Arlington Arts, Newbury
Saturday 5th: Pound Arts, Corsham, Wilts
Friday 18th: St Edith Folk, Kemsing, Kent
Photo Credit: Elly Lucas