Bush Hall was the perfect venue. The former dance hall and soup kitchen is now firmly established as one of the capital’s best venues, particularly for acoustic music, and gigs where nuance is all important.
August 25th saw one of the best line ups the venue has hosted, with the evening billed as a Bluegrass & Americana Roots double bill. The bands in question were Portland, Oregon’s Water Tower Bucket Boys, and London’s own Coal Porters. There was another band on show – Polly & The Billets Doux, a winsome quartet from Winchester, who impressed with their charm and joie de vivre, a bunch of excellent songs, and a particularly fine guitarist, whose licks were reminiscent of a young James Burton. Standout track was ‘Cry Cry’, their single from earlier this year, a song that bodes well for their forthcoming album.
Next up were the Coal Porters, lead by inimitable ex-Long Ryder Sid Griffin, who kicked off a humour-filled set with ‘June Apple Breakdown’, and followed with 45 minutes of perfectly pitched entertainment. Highlights included a re-working of the old Long Ryders classic ‘Final Wild Son’, a gambolling, countrified take on Neil Young’s ‘Like A Hurricane’ and the touching ‘Farmer’s Hands’.
Headliners the Water Tower Bucket Boys lived up to their billing, with a dazzling display of musicianship, drawing on tracks from their latest EP Where The Crow Don’t Fly and recent album Sole Kitchen as well as a storming cover of Bill Monroe’s ‘I’m Working On A Building’.
All in all this was a wonderful evening of great songs, light hearted revelry, stunning vocal harmonies and top class musicianship. Authentic and heart warming.
