Newbury music venue packed to the gunnels with die-hard and first time fans of Worcestershire trio Granny’s Attic

Granny’s Attic
at ACE Space
on Saturday, May 17

Review by TONY TRIGWELL-JONES

Performing music of substance with passion and generosity, Granny’s Attic was the perfect night out for those of us seeking something that fell between the formality of the Royal Philharmonic, the pomp of the East Woodhay Silver Band and the glitzy campery of Eurovision. While that may sound niche, ACE Space was packed to the gunnels with die-hard and first time fans of the Worcestershire trio as they performed new songs written in a traditional way and traditional songs with vigor and originality.

Though they created the band while at secondary school in 2009, each of Granny’s Attic (Lewis Wood, George Sansome and Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne) is a respected independent recording artist in their own right. Their distinctive song styles, vocals and instrumentation coming together in celebration of the rich history of British music, featuring folk songs and social dances that have been handed down from one generation to the next over hundreds of years. Often the background of the songs and their collectors is as colourful and eccentric as the characters they feature. The bands encyclopedic knowledge of such people as Joseph Elliott (a Dorset labourer who spent five years at sea), and Marina Russell (a trailblazing singer of whom her living family are not permitted to speak) is done so with warmth and humour, adding context not only to their exquisite musicianship, but also a sense of urgency in keeping these songs alive.

Despite their established roots in social history, Granny’s Attic are a youthful, forward-looking band that not only breathes fresh life into traditional songs with vibrant, playful arrangements, they also perform original material – if indeed anything can be considered truly original. Notably, Lewis Wood’s compositions Conversations and the show-stopping Watt’s Reel provide the trio with the opportunity to demonstrate their extraordinary individual talents, as well as their connection as a band.

As impressive as the power of an orchestra may be; as entertaining as it is hear a professional community band perform a broad programme of music; and as fun and frivolous a night I might have had at home in front of the TV; I couldn’t have been happier than my time spent in good company with Granny’s Attic.

And, as the final number ended, and the applause died down it was clear that more die-hard fans were created that night, and deservedly so!