Knights and Spiers - Life after Bellowhead is a blast!!!

*****

We vote for a Christmas Party

Knights and Spiers ***** are a duo, first coming together at Folk East comprising of Peter Knight formerly of Steeleye Span and John Spiers who equally came from another Folk behemoth but in the form of Bellowhead. Playing the fiddle and squeezebox / melodeon respectively and for tonight that is it, just them and their instruments, all of which John Spiers uses for tax reasons apparently, though if HMRC are reading that I am sure that was said in jest.

It really is just them too, no amplification is used tonight in the old Rook Lane Chapel, which itself is an interesting mix of an insurance company, music venue and seemingly municipal meeting room, but it has to be said the acoustics were wonderful. While talking about the venue, the basic lighting made some wonderful effects of their shadows on the back wall, with different shades, almost Venn diagrams of shadows which for a while were almost mesmerising.

Now onto the music, they opened the set with a dance tune of French origin which turned into ‘Ding dong merrily on High’ which took the tune apparently and given the date that seems very fitting. Then there was a trio of tune entitled ‘Cuckoo’, so very seasonal but the wrong one and on this mixed up not Peter Knight regaled us with the story from China of a rather confused shop having Santa on a cross. This was followed by a carol sung by John about ploughing on Jesus’ birthday and how it leads to your death and your animals death followed by your family becoming homeless, so best you don’t try it. We can’t see it making a return to school nativities anytime soon either, but it was fascinating to hear from the aural history side.

Later in the set, following the interval, Peter has his solo piece on the violin ‘English in E Major’ which certainly demonstrated his considerable skill with the violin, while rooted in Folk it almost has classical overtones at moments in the tune. Throughout the whole set the percussion, of sorts anyway, was provided by their foot stomping on the hollow stage and the unspoken communication between the two was fascinating to watch too with John especially communicating via his eyes.

They also say people smile from their eyes, and based on this it is clear to see they enjoy what they do.It was back to songs of the correct season for the finale with the ‘Somerset Carol’ being played, John being familiar with it from mummer plays in Oxford every Boxing Day. But here it was getting an airing in Somerset and some of the audience duly joined it and back to the start where songs share a tune again the other seasonal nature of this was that it shares a tune with ‘God rest thee merry Gentlemen’.

All too soon it was the end of what had been a wonderful evening of music, following the announcements of future tour dates and Peter joining the 50th anniversary of Steeleye Span the final dance tunes were played and the night drew to a close. And I have to say, I was very sad by that... because I really enjoyed seeing them do this very intimate and special show.

What it even more of a feat is that no two nights on the tour are the same, as they improvise with the base of the tune and play around with the notes. This is one show that was for Folk fans certainly, but also anybody that wants to hear traditional tunes played by two very accomplished musicians it certainly got us in the festive mood (and forget about the days election).

Review by Jon Cooper and Photo's by Steve Owen 

Check Out! a Video for 'God rest ye Merry Gentlemen / Somerset Wassail' Below...