Last night a five piece bluegrass and “old time” music band played
at what has become one of the premier London folk and country venues, The Birkbeck Tavern in Leyton. The Random Canyon Growlers,
featuring guitar, double bass, mandolin, banjo and fiddle, are mostly from the
east coast of the USA, but first came together playing in the Northern Rockies.
Performing two sets and two encores, the Growlers’ fast paced, in the tradition,
playing proved a perfect accompaniment to the pub’s impressive real ale selection.
Lead singer Jamie Drysdale told me that they write around a
quarter of the numbers they perform; others are by such bluegrass legends as
Flatt and Scruggs and country star Bill Monroe. This band will go down well in the
north and south of Ireland, where they also have gigs scheduled this month; the
common heritage is obvious, and is one that Matt Donovan’s fiddle playing gives
particular expression to. They are also due to play in Brighton, Bristol and
Chagwell. Their second encore was “Salty Dog Blues”, a deliciously titled and supremely
fast-paced climax to another thoroughly good music night at the Birkbeck.
The band’s UK and Ireland booking agent was full of praise
for Stephen Ferguson, the pub landlord and man responsible for the What’s Cookin’ gigs. Stephen himself puts on a brave face about the bottom line issue:
will the pub survive the proposal before the council to turn the whole building
into a block of flats. The “community use” defence in favour of a pub with very
popular music nights may, sadly, not, be enough to stave off the march of “development”.
Sign this online petition to register your objections so that hopefully more music of
this quality can be enjoyed live at the Birkbeck.
10th October 2012
6 comments:
Hello. And Bye. Thank you very much.
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