Gigspanner Big Band
The Gigspanner Big Band are a unique force in British folk music…
Their high-energy, virtuosic performances appeal equally to traditionalists and to those seeking something more experimental, garnering 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 – formed by legendary Steeleye Span fiddle player Peter Knight – the line-up has been expanded to form the Gigspanner Big Band, with acclaimed multi-instrumental duo Edgelarks (BBC Folk Awards ‘Best Duo’) and Bellowhead co-founder and melodeon player extraordinaire, John Spiers, joining the fray.
As collaborations go, it doesn’t get much more mouth-watering than this.
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.
“What a fabulous team they make, together producing a startlingly new musical form with few, if any, antecedents even within the hallowed worlds of prog and folk-rock. The flights of musical fancy are staggering in their natural invention” Fatea Magazine
“A group of musicians intent on making some of the most important and exhilarating art ever to sit under the banner of folk music” FRUK
“Some may talk of an entity being greater than the sum of the parts, but when each part is so outstanding in its own right, the coming together of such musical genius and flair in one space creates an embarrassment of riches. Unmissable” At The Barrier
