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There aren’t many fiddle players who could be mentioned in the same breath as Peter Knight...

"I can only think of a handful of folk musicians world wide that have the kind of relationship with their instrument that Peter Knight has: Martin Hayes, Enda Scahill, Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker, Martin Simpson.

Peter Knight's Gigspanner were amazing. Many people as they trickled out into the night said that this was one of the best gigs they'd ever been to. I'd agree with that. If you get a quarter of a chance to see them go - there were people there last night who had traveled many miles to be there. It was well worth every mile"
Mike Harding (BBC Radio/TV Broadcaster, Writer, Musician)

If an endorsement from the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett isn’t enough (“Peter Knight can spin the World on his Bow”) his work has been part and parcel of the British scene for almost five decades, most notably with folk-rock pioneers Steeleye Span

Since his departure from Steeleye Span at the end of 2013, Peter has given his full attention to his trio Gigspanner, and in the process has established their name as one of the most innovative acts on the folk/roots scene, securing along the way a reputation for dismantling traditional music and song and reassembling it in an original, imaginative and beautiful way.

Unhindered by the limits of technical ability, they take self-penned pieces along with music rooted in the British Isles and with the flick of a bow, a finely chosen chord or slip of a beat, produce richly atmospheric arrangements “with notes seemingly plucked from the stars and rhythms from the equator”

The captivating nature of their set stems not only from their creative ability and vision, but the eclectic nature of the material chosen. There are eddies and undercurrents drawn from a whole palette of influences which serve to arrest and inspire. Audiences remain engaged and curious to the closing notes.

2016 was a vintage year for the trio, with Peter receiving Fatea Magazine's 'Instrumentalist of the Year' Award, and ‘Best Musician’ in the inaugural folking.com Awards as voted for by the concert going public, and their album 'Layers of Ages' being included in many of the end of year 'Best of' lists, including The Telegraph, which gave the album a rare five stars.

The advent of Gigspanner has introduced a whole new audience to the extraordinary musicianship of Peter Knight who was at the forefront of the original folk revival of the 1960's, and has maintained a continuous output of recorded and live work ever since.

Classically trained at The Royal Academy of Music in London, Peter discovered Irish music via the flourishing folk scene in 1960's London and was immediately hooked.

Immersing himself totally in the challenge of learning to play traditional music, he was spotted by Ashley Hutchings and Martin Carthy, and invited to join the fledgling Steeleye Span. The Band went on to become one of the most successful Folk-Rock Band in Britain, securing a string of Gold Albums and top ten hits, and remains influential after almost 50 years.

Peter is joined by Roger Flack on Guitar and Sacha Trochet on Percussion, both powerful and intelligent musicians in their own right.

Gigspanner make a debut visit to The Poly in Falmouth on the 25th of March 2016, following on from two successful performances at The Tolmen Centre, Constantine.

http://thepoly.org

"What makes Gigspanner unique is the variety of musical colours on their palette. What makes them brilliant is how they blend them without ever muddying the landscape" - Spiral Earth

Sound Samples https://soundcloud.com/peter-knights-gigspanner