Venue:
Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London
Date: 22/01/2015
My love of last minute gigs is continuing and managing to pick up a front row ‘return’ on the day only added to my warm glow. I’d discovered Punch Brothers’ tight bluegrass/prog sound on a couple of compilations and in turn their last album, “Who’s feeling young now” and at just over £20 was worth a punt.
The evening started well with support, Sarah Jarosz who I hadn’t heard previously, holding the virtually full auditorium rapt with half an hour of beautiful, well-constructed songs from her cultured, lustrous voice, banjo and guitar.
I wasn’t sure how well American Folk would work in a large seated London venue, but the five piece Punch Brothers (Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Banjo, Violin) assisted by a noisy (in a good way), courteous and knowledgeable audience managed to manufacture a good lively atmosphere. The set mixed raucous with reflective and consisted of mainly songs from their last album and the imminent “The Phosphorescent Blues”, interspersed with covers by Josh and Tex Ritter, Gillian Welch and a reworking of Debussy’s Passepied amongst others. In all it was thoroughly enjoyable and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for their next visit.
Stand out songs: Movement & Location, Familiarity, Rye Whiskey
The audience:
Lively, white, largely middle-aged
It made me think..
Keep checking venue websites for late returns. London doesn’t need to be expensive
What a double bill! I saw the Punch Brothers in a crowded tent at Roskilde a few years back and they were sensational. Blew the roof off the place. A young, slightly tipsy audience at midnight was probably easier, s you say, than the sedate South Bank.
Would love to see Ms Jarosz!
Incidentally, who are you, mysterious author of this?
The name’s Pirrip, Phil Pirrip. Actually it isn’t really, but I really am a Phil.
I was wondering why my byline wasn’t appearing – is there some mysterious box I should have ticked?
I’ve fixed it for you. It’s very easy to accidentally delete your name from your profile without realising, and then you can’t put it back (unless you’re an admin) 🙂
Sarah Jarosz’s new CD arrived this very week, and so far the signs are good. I think it’s a grower – another way of saying it didn’t blow my socks right off on first listening – but I played it right through twice on first listening, and it will get extended play over the next few days as a result.
Strange your byline didn’t appear. I thought you were some strange ghost in the machine.
Thanks Hannah. I thought it was probably me.
Sarah is touring the UK in April along with 2 other fabulous bluegrass-ish ladies; Sara Watkins and Aoife O’Donovan in the I’m With Her tour
Sarah is great! She was a highlight at last years Cambridge, popping up a number of times, alone or with her trio, a good fiddler and an ace cellist. Sara W and Aoife I have seen at variousTransatlantic Sessions and can sing like billyo, Sara being quite nothalfbad on fiddle herself. The 3 together ought to be a joy: hadn’t spotted it and must now sort that out.
Cambridge this year? What a disappointment, thus far. Chesh and Jorrox? Count me out.