Peter Knight's Gigspanner
Album: Layers Of Ages
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 9
Website: http://www.gigspanner.com/

One day it may be possible to mention Paul McCartney without including the words "(ex Beatle)". Similarly, it may be possible, one day, to review an album by Peter Knight's Gigspanner without referring to Steeleye Span. I'm sure though, that they would be the first to admit that that time is not yet now.

Gigspanner's first album was released in 2008, at a time when Peter was still with Steeleye Span. He first joined Steeleye in 1970, left in 1977 and then rejoined in 1980 and was with them until 2013, when he left to concentrate on Gigspanner. He is also a member of Feast of Fiddles.

Gigspanner have toured extensively, and have even released a live album, but I have to confess that so far I have not yet managed to see them live. Not only that, I still haven't managed to yet see Feast Of Fiddles. Both bands are on my list of "must see", but so far whenever either band has played at a venue nearby, I've had other commitments. Hope that the situation can be rectified soon.

I have managed to see Steeleye Span several times though, and have always been most impressed with Peter's skill on the violin, particularly in recent gigs when they were promoting their Wintersmith album.

Gigspanner are a trio, comprising Peter Knight on violin, mandolin, vocals and spoons, Roger Flack, from the Celtic rock band The Tabs on guitar, bass, vocals along with two "instruments" I haven't previously encountered, called "fiddlesticks" and "eggs", along with the third member, percussionist Vincent Salzfaas, from Senegal and Cuba, on djembe, congas and vocals. The video of "Louisiana Flack", on their manager Deborah Knight's youtube channel, demonstrates exactly what is meant by fiddlesticks.

Peter Knight is a very good songwriter, as amply demonstrated by his song "We Shall Wear Midnight" on the Wintersmith album, and on many other Steeleye tracks. I think that it is a bit of a shame that "Louisiana Flack" is the only original track on Layers of Ages. All other tracks are traditional, arranged by them, apart from "Mad Tom of Bedlam" which has traditional lyrics with music written by Nic Jones and Dave Moran and "Down by the Salley Gardens" which was a poem by William Butler Yeats.

Comparison with Steeleye Span is almost encouraged by the band, as several of the tracks on it have previously been performed by Steeleye. Particularly the last track, "All The Hard Times Of Old England", which is a staple of Steeleye's live gigs. Steeleye perform this as a jolly romp, but Gigspanner play it as a far more sombre song, in keeping with the lyrics. "Bows Of London" is a Child Ballad, (Ballad number 10), and appears in many different 'guises, including the version "Three Sisters" as performed Steeleye Span and "Mad Tom of Bedlam" was recorded by Steeleye as "Boys Of Bedlam".

Many of these songs, like a lot of Traditional songs, are of quite dark topics. "Bows Of London" is a very dark tale of a girl who drowns her sister. The body is washed downstream to where it is pulled out of the river by a miller who leaves it on the bank. A travelling musician then finds the body, and as any likeminded person would do, fashions a musical instrument from the corpse. "Death And The Lady", another ballad, tells of a young lady who meets Death. "Mad Tom Of Bedlam" is a very disturbing song about a time when people paid to vist the lunatic asylum Bedlam, to mock the inpatients.

Yes, they are not cheerful songs, but they are expertly played, and encompass a wide variety of styles, with influences from France, Cajun, Eastern Europe, African and even Aboriginal. The eight and a half minute Irish instrumental, "She Moves Through The Fair", shows how talented they are as musicians.

Definitely a strong enough band to play far more of their own material, and to deserve a review in their own right without any cross references to Steeleye Span. I promise that if I'm lucky enough to review their next album, I won't mention Span at all.

Pete Bradley