WLDFLWRS on Stratford upon Avon Bandstand

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WLDFLWRS on Stratford upon Avon Bandstand

Review

There can be few more civilised pleasures than sitting by Stratford Upon Avon Bandstand on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon & listening to such classy musicians as WLDFLWRS.

Something of a flexible concept as a band, with its origins in the loose group of professional musicians who facilitate Stratford's Street Arts Project, there are those members who appear at most if not all gigs, but with likeminded guests, the ensemble can grow greatly as it did in when I reported in April on their recreation of The Band's "The Last Waltz" gig to raise funds for Street Arts.

Yesterday saw the band with Jack Blackman & Jono Wright on guitars & vocals with Wes Finch on bass & vocals and Chris Quirk making his live debut as a FLWR on drums. Sadly Katherine Abbott was unwell & not able to play.

Not unwholly like the similarly Americana inspired Dirt Road Band whose ‘Righteous' debut album I reviewed so recently, it's been fascinating to observe the development from a covers-based project designed initially for a more or less one off purpose into a longer term one which ha s then written & recorded their own songs.

I was delighted to hear this of WLDFLWRS but had no idea how many originals they've added to their live set already nor, I gather, how close to release some of them apparently are.

It's tempting to state that the originals fit in nicely with the existing set given the collective admiration for The Band. Yet that implies pastiche & the new songs are very strong & unique articulations of what such experienced & strong songwriters are interested in: albeit with that majestic dignity of The Band, the clear roots in musical heritage and the interest of all the composers in more abstract, philosophical & "big picture"  ideas for songs: possibly (I'd need to hear the recorded versions I suspect to make sure), touching on the spiritual too.

So please look out both for these special new songs & for my review of them.

Look out too for more WLDFLWRS gigs.

Some aspects of these will surprise you: you'll be hearing songs you've never heard before and probably a configuration of the band & their friends never before seen.

Other aspects do not vary: performances of class & distinction by musicians who love & know their music and who get as much joy out of playing as you do witnessing them.

There are gigs all over the place (literally) taking their show round the country: the culmination (at least judging by concerts announced to date) will be in Halifax on December 21st where guest WLDFLWRS will include P P Arnold (yes, THAT P P Arnold), regular WLDFLWRS Nigel Clark and Adam Barry, Chris Helme, Neil Ivison, Rachel Croft, Thor Jensen plus some whose names are still under wraps. Tickets are going fast & since most of the venue will be taken up by the many performers, audience slots will be at a premium: the link is here:

 

https://www.loafersvinyl.co.uk/products/loafers-presents-a-celebration-of-the-last-waltz

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