Review: Granny’s Attic, Downend Folk & Roots – ‘As fresh and manic as ever’

There are those that will tell you that live music is struggling, that people just don’t go and see gigs since Covid.

Those people should have told the packed house for Granny’s Attic at one of the best folk clubs in the country. Downend Folk & Roots was heaving, with hundreds of people only too pleased to welcome one of the UK’s finest trios back to the area.

To start things off, accordion virtuoso Heather Ferrier played a short set of wonderfully danceable, impeccably groovy folk tunes. Circles takes off at break-neck pace, Ferrier’s fingers unbelievably nimble as they buzz over buttons and keys.

While there are strong echoes of trad tunes in her playing, she is also innovative and questing, pushing her instrument to be more versatile, more expressive than it has any right to be.

A paean to her favourite cake, Lemon Drizzle, sees her gazing at the sky in wonder while carefully picking her way through the greenwoods. Apple One, taken from her latest EP, is full of clever twiddly bits and a bassy hum while Northern Frisk smashes together a church-organ depth, lightning-fast fingers and a delightful nod at the dancefloor. Ferrier is seriously brilliant.

Granny’s Attic have, unbelievably, been going for fifteen years. Over that time Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne, George Sansome and Lewis Wood have made themselves into one of the most reliably excellent folk bands in the country.

Their first set is, more-or-less, made up of new ones taken from two of their more recent albums, The Brickfields and Wheels of the World. While they might be new recordings, they’re hardly new songs.

The Ship in Distress, Lovely Joan and Jack the Sailor are all from the trad cannon but Granny’s Attic re-energise all three. Braithwaite-Kilcoyne’s voice carrying with it echoes of folk clubs from years gone by, Sansome’s just as strong, just as pure. Melodeon, guitar and Wood’s fiddle seamlessly mesh together to help tell the old tales.

Braithwaite-Kilcoyne’s concertina is fabulous on Wheels of the World, matched only by Sansone’s wonderfully exuberant acoustic guitar as they build towards one of the best choruses of the evening. The harmonies, once again, absolutely spot on.

The Devil’s Arch is an instrumental and sees the three of them crouched together, plotting and scheming, making danceable magic. Odd Thoughts/James’ Maggot sees the pace slowly increase until, as the first half ends, all three are bouncing with glee.

That feeling of glee spills into the second half too. Royal Oak is a set of tunes that Wood wrote when he was seventeen but they are as fresh and manic as they’ve ever been. A demented country dance ensues as each band member tries to out-do the others with ever-more ridiculously moves.

Eventually Braithwaite-Kilcoyne falls over, much to Sansome’s amusement. These are three friends simply having the best time, playing music that they clearly love.

Another tune by Wood, After the Floods, is dedicated to the people of Valencia and is a stately, gentle waltz. Guitar, fiddle and concertina are respectful and restrained.

Away to the South’ard sees an outbreak of audience swaying and, finally, Paddy on the Railroad has all three members, and a decent amount of the audience, bouncy, dancing and clapping.

If there’s one band that will get people out of their houses and into folk clubs then it is Granny’s Attic. Fifteen years young and as much fun as it’s possible to have.

All images: Barry Savell

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