Reviews

Artists: The Water Tower Bucket Boys
Venue: The Old Queens Head
Town: London
Date: 25th August 2010
Website: http://www.watertowerbucketboys.com/

The Water Tower Bucket Boys are a four piece bluegrass band from Portland Oregon who, despite both punk and jazz influences are about as traditional as you can get. In fact, the only non traditional things about them are their wardrobe (jeans and tee shirts being preferred to a suit and tie) and an electric bass rather than the upright variety. On a night when it was raining so hard that I felt the water tower of their name had burst right above my head, the boys played for the Magpies Nest Folk Club. The Magpies Nest was BBC Folk Club of 2010 winners and it was easy to see why; friendly, hospitable and in the upstairs room of a pub, you couldn't ask for more.

As the bass man just played bass, the fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar had to be split between the other three and much instrument swapping ensued. This gave the mix of old Bill Monroe and Jimmy Martin classics with self penned material from their latest album 'Sole Kitchen' an edge through most of the set. Their owns songs were the most impressive be it about tripping in California ('Telegraph'), moonshine in Tallahassee ('Crooked Road'), road kill (the delightful 'Blackbird pickin' at a squirrel') or the blazing 'London Breakdown' (inspired by their last visit to The Old Queens Head.

The one criticism of the venue is that the layout, whilst wonderful for sitting and listening, did not allow for much in the way of dancing and they played for at least one, possibly two songs too long. The set felt done and (quite rightly so) they played another song for a round of whisky. Someone then bought them another round of whisky and they were far too polite to refuse a final song (a perfunctory cover of the Old Crow Medicine Show song 'Wagon Wheel'). It was a disappointing end to a set that showed The Water Tower Bucket Boys soon be the equal to more established acts like OCMS and Chatham County Line.

The Jacket