Steeleye Span

Closest I get to a gig nowadays is to go and see a band, and this weekend I saw Steeleye Span at Bury Apex. Folk rock in general and this band's particular history of lots of change in line up gives them quite a license to vary instrumentation. Guitarwise we had the obligatory acoustic guitar and another fellow was playing a strat! I’m not sure what foot processor he was using but the it was through a small Peavey amp and sounded just perfect for this style – more like a commanding electro-acoustic than an electric sound. Peter Knights (one of the originals) played great violin and the bassist looked like he was using a Warwick bass and amp to get a very deep sound well below the fight for the middle frequencies. Liam Gennocky on a smallish kit completed the rhythm section. These talented musical chaps were able to swap instrumentation to add clarinet, flute and Korg piano to the musical palette when needed. But for me the vocals stole the show. Despite coming to the end of a longish tour, Maddy Prior sings high and pure. But she is often joined by up to 5 other voices (they all sing) filling a wide vocal range. Occasionally singing accapella (Gaudete being the highlight) you can appreciate the quality of their pitching. The reason I say this is because, although the level and balance was spot on, the PA sounded a bit muddy to me. To my ears the vocals would have been better placed with a sparkle of top end in the mix to give them presense above a crowded middle. Professionally relaxed and entertaining, they played a wide selection from their back catalogue including an interesting first set playing pretty much all of "Now We Are 6" from the indulgent 70's - riddles and interludes included! Throwing in a couple of Xmas songs towards the end and encoring quickly with the big hits "All Around My Hat" and Gaudete" was very professional and well appreciated by the sell out crowd including me and Mrs J. An evening made even more enjoyable by my indulgence in a pint of "Bartram's Bees Knees" brought in specially for the folkies?