If you only absorbed a fraction of what Joe Danks and Rowan Piggott offered in this evening's gig then returning home many times richer was a surefire conclusion. Blending openly expressive talent and bundles of enthusiasm, the duo known as Old Spot brought a sprinkling of old time Appalachia to a Birmingham suburb brightening up a damp spring night. The bare bricked walls and lowish wooden ceiling of the Kitchen Garden was the perfect setting for these two musicians to hone their craft. Without the giveaway accents you could be mistaken for listening to two Virginia natives. However it is the North Midlands/South Yorkshire border line adding the geographical stance rather than the Tennessee-North Carolina state line. Two years since a pair of experienced folk musicians discovered a common bond, things are in the midst of gathering pace. The debut album came out on April 7th and a fortnight's worth of launch dates offers the music a close up and personal feel. Frequenting the festival edges is a compromised focus for the summer, but once word gets around bookings right across the scene will have to be fought off.
Scenes for Old Spot can be fluid. The perfect fit is the bespoke old time festival circuit of which the pair shared their experiences of Aberystwyth to the Birmingham audience tonight. The wider folk scene will also embrace this iconic acoustic sound that offers much insight on how music from the British Isles mixed with an array of other sources to inform the old time trademark Appalachian sound. There is also room in Americana circles especially those who respect the roots of modern music. Last but not least in an alternative universe country in a traditional way could embrace what these two guys have to offer.
Joe Danks gained acclaim in 2021 with his SEASPEAK album almost entirely entrenched in the British folk tradition. Flash forward a couple of years and now banjos are his main tools of the trade. The plural is significant as this show flittered between a custom made gourd banjo sourced straight from the States and the more popular 5-string banjo that you regularly see on the stage. His natural playing appeals to both stringed titans, although the straight forward guitar appeared a couple of times including a source deviation in covering the Townes Van Zandt song 'None But the Rain'. Mind you, the version supplemented by fiddle conjured up an old time feel.
Rowan Piggott is a widely respected fiddle player on the UK and European circuit. Joining fiddle in his instrumental armoury is viola. Not your usual old time tool, but this re-interpretation worked. This is a musician brought up in the traditional sounds from west coast Ireland, who is also a keen advocate and practitioner of Swedish fiddle music. Throw in a couple of albums from his association with folk trio Wilderness Yet, plus multiple other industry activities and you have a very experienced and rounded folk musician.
Across the two sets this evening, the duo radiated endless passion, knowledge and easy on the ear skill. The material on the surface is a neat mix of songs, sung individually and harmony, alongside a blend of tunes from both an old time interpretative and originally composed source. Familiar names banded about included Molly Tuttle and Bruce Molsky, both leading lights practising this timeless art form in the US. From the past they dipped into the work of Mississippi John Hurt with a cover of 'Louis Collins'. A couple of familiar old time songs found their way into the setlist in 'Darling Cora' and 'Cindy'. The latter has so many versions with the one by Old Spot nestling proudly on its own merits.
A notable song that closed the first set was 'Green Grows the Laurel'. A traditional Irish piece brought to the table by Rowan with its presence on the US-Mexican battlefields giving further insight including a link to the term 'gringo'. A short vocal number, and its reprise version, opened and closed the set titled 'Old Spot'. The perfect introductory and parting piece. Just prior to the end, the duo shared their 'Radio 2 hit' 'Jeff Sturgeon'. Grab the plays wherever you can.
The independent status of Old Spot enables you to head to their Bandcamp page and support the new album in a multitude of ways. Ideally, the best route is via one of their shows and you feel there will be plenty in the future, even after the current run ends.
Making old time Appalachian music accessible should be the mission of Old Spot. They may be just doing what they love and are good at, but from the other side the way they present the music is all-reaching and wholly inclusive. Joe Danks and Rowan Piggott transcend the current project as musicians but there is something special in the air when combining the fiddle and banjo. Old Spot have arrived and look set to seal their place in a fluid scene. All was laid to bare in the Kitchen Garden.
