With their fiftieth anniversary set to be celebrated in 2019 and a work rate to put many younger artists to shame, Steeleye Span are as inspired now as they have been at any point in their long and glittering career. The band’s most recent album Dodgy Bastards (their eighth album in twelve years) saw them return to the folk tales and characters that have always been at the heart of the Steeleye sound, drawing on stories of murder, religion, incest, skulls, honour killings and tormented spirits to once more create an inspired and dark take on the music of the British Isles. Led as ever by the iconic vocals of Maddy Prior, Steeleye Span’s current line-up sees bassist Roger Carey and Benji Kirkpatrick (bouzouki, acoustic guitar and vocals) join Liam Genockey, Jessie May Smart, Andrew Sinclair and Julian Littman in a version of the band that is more than a match for any that has come before down the years.
“…robust and surprisingly fleet-footed with a wealth of classic nimble prog-rock-styled guitar manœuvres. And vocally too, there’s an outstanding strength and flexibility in the coordinated harmony work, with quite a special bond emerging between Maddy and Jessie. Both of the newer band members really get the chance to demonstrate their considerable instrumental proficiency, cohering intelligently with the whole band’s constantly evolving vision of folk tradition and beyond.” David Kidman reviewing Dodgy Bastards for Folk Radio UK
Having explored a range of new projects of late (including the acclaimed collaboration with the late Sir Terry Pratchett on the Wintersmith album), as well as revisiting key moments of their past such as the Now We Are Six record, Steeleye’s upcoming UK tour will see them preview the release that will mark next year’s landmark anniversary with a number of new songs. They will sit alongside a selection of classic tracks from all points of their career as well as hidden gems from those iconic albums – bringing to together the past, present and future of this famous band.
Watch Steeleye Span performing that unforgettable folk-rock classic at Cropredy Festival in 2016. Yes, they’ve still got that magic, so don’t miss their October Tour (dates below).
Steeleye Span October 2018 Tour Dates
Mon 1st – Lyric Theatre, Carmarthen
Tues 2nd – The Subscription Rooms, Stroud
Wed 3rd – The Stables, Milton Keynes
Thurs 4th – Swan Theatre, Worcester
Sat 6th – Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne
Sun 7th – Chelmsford Theatre, Chelmsford
Mon 8th – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
Tues 9th – Opera House, Buxton
Wed 10th – Palace Theatre, Mansfield
Fri 12th – The Core at Corby Cube, Corby
Sat 13th – Holy Trinity Church, Sudbury
Sun 14th – Theatre Royal, Margate
Mon 15th – Hexagon, Reading
Wed 17th – Royal Philharmonic, Liverpool
Thurs 18th – The Courtyard, Hereford
For ticket links and more details visit http://steeleyespan.org.uk/sample-page/tour-dates-2018/
To purchase the latest Steeleye Span releases please visit the Park Records shop: http://parkrecords.com/