Gigspanner Band Biography
Gigspanner in its present format was formed by Steeleye Span’s legendary fiddle player Peter Knight, with Hastings based musicians Roger Flack (Guitar) and Vincent Salzfaas (Conga’s and Djembe), as a fairly casual arrangement that offered the opportunity to explore other areas of music when not working with Steeleye Span.
In its original incarnation, it started life as a duo, instigated by Vincent after he saw Peter play an improvised concert with globally renowned saxophonist, Trevor Watts.
A few gigs and festival appearances followed, but the pressure was on Peter to sustain the melody, and he felt that in order for the project to flourish, another ‘voice’ needed to be added to the mix.
Word of Roger’s flawless and highly sensitive playing had reached Peter, and a session in Peter’s kitchen sealed the deal.
Playing in Pubs and Bars in and around Hastings to ecstatic crowds, all of whom were turning out to actually listen to the music, it soon became evident that the music was worthy of a much wider audience. More significantly, the trio experienced a high after each gig that no other playing experience was matching. Peter certainly felt, and still does, that Gigspanner offered the best possible vehicle for his musicality.
The Trio embarked upon their first UK tour in May 2009, simultaneously releasing their Debut album, the enigmatically titled ‘Lipreading the Poet’.
The album was welcomed with considerable critical acclaim by the music press, and was selected by ‘The Wire’ as one of the best 15 ‘Global’ Albums of 2009, a distinction that is indicative of the outstanding musicianship and commitment to originality that is the hallmark of their performances.
“Intelligent, multi-lingual music making”
Julian Cowley, The Wire
“Gigspanner produce music of intelligently crafted brilliance”
Andy Letcher, Songlines Magazine.
“Altogether gorgeous, music to sustain the spirit”
Dai Jeffries, Rock n Reel.
That first tour of 2009 put Gigspanner firmly on the map, and since then they have maintained a stance of allowing the music and their reputation to grow organically.
Peter holds a firm belief that the music will speak for itself, and certainly the reaction from Gigspanner’s audience, promoters and the press have supported that view.
(Please click HERE to read a selection of emails that have been received from promoters and fellow musicians).
Despite Peter’s long and well documented history with folk-rock pioneers Steeleye Span (with whom he is still very much involved), Gigspanner is no shadow puppet or watered down imitation of that institution. In fact, as Noel Harvey observed in a review for ‘Acoustic’ magazine, with Gigspanner Peter does ‘a neat about turn, boldly heading in the opposite direction… this is no mere retro offering’
Gigspanner plays with a love that leaves audiences spellbound, without any reliance on catchy tunes or sing-along chorus’s. There is, as one fan wrote, “No grandstanding or showboating, just three musicians supporting each other and providing a most memorable evening for the audience”(Thanks to Eric Underwood for permission to use extract from e-mail)
This is as it should be. Gigspanner after all wasn’t formed as Peter’s backing Band, although as Peter states, Roger and Vincent offer him a platform to play the best music that he is capable of. As a Trio they offer an unexpectedly rich experience…
‘The Trio co-create a depth of multi-textured melody that belies the pared-down instrumental line-up’
Noel Harvey, Acoustic Magazine.
Their second album, ‘Doors at Eight’ was released to coincide with their May 2011 tour.
“The problem with starting out with a nigh-on perfect studio album is: what do you do next? Gigspanner have turned to what really matters to them – playing live”
Dai Jeffries, R2/Rock n Reel
A live album featuring most of their current (2011) set, has once again secured a string of impressive reviews from the press, all of which is proving to be grist to the mill for this Trio that no one can categorise, but which is universally accepted to be a real one-off.
“Gigspanner are marking out a distinctive zone of their own, melodically folk-rooted yet open and inventive beyond constraints of genre”
Julian Cowley, The Wire
To a certain extent, Gigspanner has remained a best kept secret to the folk and roots world, but a palpable sea-change is under way…
To read individual Biog’s, please see below.
Musicians Biography
Although his name is synonymous with the seminal Folk-Rock Band 'Steeleye Span', Peter Knight has avoided being categorised purely as a Folk Musician due to the diversity of musical genres that he chooses to apply to his music making, and to the musicians he has chosen to work with. Peter has a rare gift of being able to seamlessly embrace a number of musical styles with consummate skill and effortless grace.
His prodigious talent was recognised at an early age when in true Billy Elliot style his life changed by winning a place at The Royal Academy of Music in London, an experience that has indelibly left its mark on Peter's style of playing.
Resisting the lure of an extension to continue his studies as a classical soloist under the tutelage of an eminent Professor, Peter left the Royal Academy at 16 and was drawn to the copious presence of Irish Music that was flourishing in London during the 1960's.
Inspired initially by the legendary Fiddle players Michael Coleman and Michael Gorman, Peter totally immersed himself into the playing of traditional music and began performing in Folk Clubs with guitarist Bob Johnson. Being invited by Ashley Hutchings to join the fledgling 'Steeleye Span' secured his place within the annals of British Folk Music, but an encounter with renowned Saxophonist Trevor Watts marked a very significant turning point in Peter's musical journey when he was introduced to the area of free improvisation.
Peter counts his playing with Trevor and his Bands 'Moiré Music' and 'The Drum Orchestra' as one of his most deeply influential and formative experiences, and has continued to use both improvisation as means of accessing a rich seam of emotion and depth of feeling.
Within the context of Gigspanner, Peter exploits to the full his classical training (courtesy of The Royal Academy of Music), his extensive understanding of improvised music via his work with Danny Thompson and Trevor Watts, and of course his experience of playing traditional music during his forty year association with Steeleye Span.
He is without question one of the most musically flexible and emotive players around, and offers listeners a musical experience loaded with feeling.
Guitarist and Composer Roger Flack is a well known and much respected Musician on the vibrant Hastings Music scene. Originally a Piano player and later a Drummer, Roger is now primarily known as a Rock guitarist whose playing has been described as 'flawless', and his work with Gigspanner undoubtedly reflects his sensitivity and intuition as a performer within the area of improvisation.
"Despite being capable of string based fireworks", Roger has in the words of reviewer and Radio contributor Joshua Roberts "worked out the truth of the statement that less is more. In so many ways the band is built upon his solid and quiet presence"
Roger is also a founder member of the Celtic Folk Rock Band 'The Tabs' whose numbers include Fiddle player Garry Blakeley (Feast of Fiddles, Band of Two).
Afro-Percussionist Vincent Salzfaas ‘The man who makes Gigspanner different’ (R2) is an inventive and colourfully expressive player who in addition to working as a touring Musician, also contributes much to the advancement of African Drumming by means of Workshops through Schools and Festivals. Although Vincent actually studied in Senegal and Cuba, he is not afraid of pushing the boundaries in applying his expertise within the other genres of Music, and his imaginative application of African techniques to the traditional tunes explored by Gigspanner is evidence of this.
His playing is described by Joshua Roberts as "a revelation. At times turning his percussion into a lead instrument, at other times providing driving rhythms, giving the music a highly original lift"
