Great crowd turn out for footstomping start to Newbury's Ace Space year
Old Baby Mackerel, support Richard Cox-Smith at ACE Space on Friday, January 21. Review by Adam Kotz
It was either a) people’s confidence to attend live events returning or b) saving on the home heating bill or c) the irresistible lure of Bluegrass, or quite possibly all three, that persuaded a very good sized crowd (albeit reduced capacity) to a warm and welcoming ACE Space for the first gig of 2022.
Opener Richard Cox-Smith is no stranger to this stage, though not quite his 18th time, as he claimed. His formidably fluid Blues and Ragtime guitar and mellow vocals on classics from Jelly Roll Morton and Doc Watson to lesser known songs such as Bill Caddick’s lovely Unicorns was a treat as always.
Bluegrass music derives from the centuries-old Appalachian folk tradition, honed in the modern age by the likes of Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs and now having its boundaries pushed by artists such as Chris Thile and Bela Fleck. It isn’t heard that often in West Berkshire so, for this reviewer, who plays and teaches Banjo, Mandolin and Guitar, it promised to be fun.
Old Baby Mackerel hail from the thriving Bristol music scene and clearly love the more traditional aspects of the music, relishing the challenge of speedy playing and close harmonies around a central microphone. It needs musicians who are technically accomplished but also inventive and aware of their compadres at all times. Despite needing a (terrific) last-minute bass dep in Mike Kennedy and missing a fiddle player, Kai Carter (guitar), Mikey Ponsford (mandolin) and Sam Garrard (banjo) flat-picked and finger-picked, vamped and soloed through some real foot-stompers with easy skill, delighting those present with “miserable subjects done in a jovial manner”. Their distinctive vocal styles added energy and variety to songs they led on or harmonised.
Standards such as Salty Dog Blues, Tennessee Waltz and Nine Pound Hammer rubbed along happily with newer numbers by Tony Rice, Ricky Scaggs and Townes van Zandt, alongside originals celebrating Bristol’s A roads and “one about a cat”. John Hartford’s Squirrel Hunters and Nellie Cane were particular highlights and the whole set flowed with relaxed charm and humour. The audience loved it.
There are more pleasures at ACE Space soon (eg Jackie Oates and Phil Beer in February and March), which, along with the monthly Unplugged Open Mic nights, are helping keep spirits up and music live and local once again.
More at www.acespace.org.uk
