LIKE every venue in the country, the closed sign has been over Nettlebed Folk Club.
But no longer.
It is returning on Monday, September 21, for a special one-off gig where Gigspanner will launch their new album, Natural Invention.
Yes, it’s taking place in the regular venue of the Village Club, but you will be able to enjoy the music from the comfort of your own home.
The Gigspanner Big Band are one of the most unique acts on the British folk scene.
Their high-energy, virtuosic performances are said to appeal equally to traditionalists and to those looking for something more experimental, and they have garnered praise from publications as varied as fRoots, The Telegraph and The Wire, where they were described as “melodically folk-rooted yet open and innovative beyond the constraints of genre”.
Beginning life as a trio – with former Steeleye Span fiddle player Knight being joined by percussionist Sacha Trochet and guitarist Roger Flack – the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin — BBC Folk Awards ‘Best Duo’) and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.
While Peter Knight, as part of Steeleye Span’s classic 1970s line-up, helped invent a brand of folk rock that is still influential today, John Spiers, has had an equally profound impact on the landscape of traditional music over the last two decades.
Characterised by riotous inventiveness, technically gifted individual playing and subtle collaborative interaction, this coming together of several of the biggest names on the folk-roots scene, combines a deep knowledge of roots traditions with a ceaselessly boundary pushing approach.
You can enjoy the show, which runs from 8pm to 10pm, via a special online link. Tickets cost £21.43 and the secure ticket link is: bit.ly/2D6phpN
For more on the club, including rearranged dates for next year, log on to www.nettlebedfolkclub.co.uk
