Stick in the Wheel
Wyeside Arts Centre, Builth Wells, Fri 16 Nov; Theatr Mwldan, Cardigan, Sat 17 Nov
Stick In The Wheel’s brand of folk music may not be straight traditional, or that you’ll know every song from hearing them before in your local folk club, but like all great music of this ever-expanding style, the London group perform for the people. They sing songs from some deep place that resonates in your bones and speaks to the pulse of your pumping blood.
This band walk the fine line between traditional song and modern sounds, brilliantly employing autotune on their latest envelope-pushing release Follow Them True. Live, their four to the floor and incessant handclaps are almost mesmeric. Nicola Kearey’s unadorned vocals sit perfectly above the rhythm section with Fran Foote’s pitch perfect harmonies adding light to Kearney’s dark. Ellie Wilson’s fiddle adds even more colour to the pallet but it is the endlessly repeating, but somehow never dull, patterns of Ian Carter’s dobro – a kind of resonator guitar – that forms the backbone of the band’s sound.
For an extra treat, Jim Ghedi & Toby Hay will be offering support in Cardigan. So, if you’re at the right end of the country then get along to one of this band’s only two stops in Wales – stick in the wheel and follow them true.
words John-Paul Davies
Tickets: £14 (Fri 16) / £3-£14 (Sat 17). Info: 01982 592555 (Fri 16) / 01239 621200 (Sat 17)