Friday night fire with Swedish sisters’ banjo punk

Baskery
at Ace Space
on Friday, September 12

Reviewed by BRIAN HARRINGTON

SWEDISH sisters Greta (banjo, guitar and percussion), Stella (double bass) and Sunniva Bondesson (guitars) have been dubbed the ‘Queens of banjo punk’, which may be a catchy description but, in my view, falls far short of encapsulating the ethos and style of Baskery.

Baskery have huge stage presence and energy and play a joyous blend of Americana, fok/rock with rock and rockabilly influences and great harmonies, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, not surprising perhaps when they explain their love of Neil Young's music, as demonstrated by their album of covers of his songs.

Indeed, they took the stage tonight in front of a sold-out audience with their version of his 1972 song Old Man.

All three sisters are superb musicians and songwriters as their next songs The Fall and The Big Flo (Adios) – (the story of an intentional plane crash – proved.

The inclusion of an a capella drinking song from the 1700s in Swedish Bort Allt Vad Oro Gor (away with all worries) featured stunning harmonies, before they ended their first set with the track One Horse Down, which had the audience clapping along to the ever-increasing rhythm which reaches a frantically paced conclusion.

They opened their second set with another Neil Young song, Heart Of Gold, before their own nostalgic track Miss America and the excellent Cactus Baby and Hard On You before a fantastically arranged, extended version of the 1969 Neil Young classic Down By The River, before finding space for a tongue-in-cheek nod to fellow Swedes Abba in the form of a few bars of Super Trooper mixed in to their final number

The much demanded encore was an exuberant rendition of Bruce Springsteen's I'm On Fire, complete with audience participation.

This was Baskery's third appearance at Ace Space, I'm certain they will be very welcome back again any time.

Brilliant and great fun.