Feast of Fiddles head to Hailsham

Feast of Fiddles promise a show of huge dynamic range performed with passion, joy and a liberal dose of fun.

On Saturday, April 2, they play The Pavillion, George St, Hailsham (tickets 01323 841414).

Typically, fiddlers Peter Knight (Gigspanner, Steeleye Span), Chris Leslie (Fairport Convention), Brian McNeill (Battlefield Band), Ian Cutler (Bully Wee), Tom Leary (Joe Brown Band) and Garry Blakeley (Band of Two) add the large range of fiddle-playing styles to the rock back-line of guitars, keyboards, sax and accordion – all held together by drummer Dave Mattacks.

Hugh Crabtree, from the band, said: “Feast of Fiddles is a once a year touring band plus a few festival appearances. It was heart breaking that we wouldn’t be able to go and do what we love in 2020 and 2021. Musicians started to appear on social media doing online live or recorded gigs. I realised that individual solo musicians could deliver live music by using a webcam and PC but it is a totally different matter for an 11-piece band.

“If we were to going to do anything online then we would need to get the band into a Covid safe facility, to pre-record or perform a live cast, but this would have been very expensive. I ran out of steam with this idea and I didn’t have a budget to do it.

“However, our sound engineer Paul Smith put me in touch with SyncSpace, a Canadian company that supplies a subscription based service that enables musicians to play together online. The system uses jamulus software free to download, innovative server routing and a video extension much like Zoom. All very hi tech. Without Covid I would never have discovered these amazing software systems which really changed our musical lives. One real silver lining to the pandemic has been the ability to play and rehearse together virtually.

“I should mention that all our band members are in the age demographic which is at some risk – we’re all bus pass holders! One or two of our band members have been effectively shielding or caring for parents and are still slightly worried about live performance.”

Hugh added: “When you listen to our very early live albums, the music sounds almost like jazz. The fiddle players interacting with each other in quite a free way, constrained only by the fact that we were playing a tune together.

“Over the years we realised we could play any genre and any music we liked. We could play film or television themes and well-known tunes with traditional music and this became popular with the audience. A good example of this is the Pirates of the Caribbean film music added to a jig, polka and march medley.

“As we prepare to go into our first tour for three years, we will be revisiting some of the back catalogue in order to allow us to enjoy again the lovely experience of playing in an ensemble with ten other musicians who are able to push boundaries. We are all determined to appear on stage without music stands and notes. There will be arranged pieces of course but we are looking forward to having a bit of fun with the music again.

“Back in the day when we first got together, we agreed a list from all kinds of sources, a bunch of tunes that most people in the band knew. We then cobbled together a set list and arrangements, then we got on stage and played.

“We have ended up with a big catalogue of material. The songs that are popular stay in the set and the stuff that doesn’t quite make the cut gets quietly dropped. We generally know what works and what doesn’t.

“Band members come along with ideas – including original material – and lob them into the basket. Then there is a process of consideration, mostly by the backline, which works out if an idea can work in an original way. “

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