Folk Rock group Steeleye Span are celebrating more than 50 years of music-making. Formed in 1969, their 50th anniversary tour postponed until now, due to the you-know-what hitting the you-know-where! And this evening they were at Sale's Waterside theatre to perform some of their more well-known back catalogue to a full house of folkie fans.
When I was but a spotty teenager, I heard the song, 'All Around My Hat' played on the radio. I loved it. I had never heard of Steeleye Span, and knew little to nothing about folk music per se, unless it was traditional Scottish music since I was still living in the Highlands at that time. However, I rushed out to the shop and bought the album simply on the strength of a single hearing of a single track. Something I have never done either before or since! And it was on the strength of that very same song that I found myself sitting in the audience this evening to listen to the group live, waiting, with bated breath, for 'that' song. It came, finally, as an encore!
There comes a point in any band's life, when the membership of that band has become so divergent from the original line-up, that one can put forward a convincing argument that the band has in fact become a tribute act of itself, rather than being the actual band. Steeleye Span, perhaps more than most bands, have gone through a very large turnover of members over the years, and if I am to understand correctly (please someone correct me if I am wrong), then the only extant member from the original 1969 formation is lead singer Maddie Prior. In fact I simply cannot put it better than a quote I have found from Martin Carthy, "Steeleye Span's music depends on who's in it. It's completely different now".
Listening to them live now, this evening, I can't deny that I was disappointed. The memory of the sound from that album - a cassette played over and over again and now lost - was nothing like what I was hearing on stage. They took us through many songs - most of which I had never heard before - mostly from their album, 'Below The Salt' and a few from 'Wintersmith', they certainly appealed and pleased the audience of die-hard fans in this evening's audience. Each member proficient musicians in their own right, but somehow they didn't seem to cohere as effectively or indeed as dynamically as I had hoped. A talented young female fiddle player thankfully taking on all the soprano lines in the songs which Prior is no longer able to reach.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 4.5.22
on - 4.5.22
I have to say we loved it ! The young lady violinist/fiddle player who has joined was brilliant and we thought they all gelled well together especially on the harmonies . We had a great evening, as many around us did, so maybe it’s down to personal choice and an evening of remembering a great band.
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