"With Gigspanner, Peter Knight adds another milestone to what may very well be seen as folk's 'rebirth of cool' moment". Andy Letcher, Songlines Magazine Information for Promoters: Having now clocked up almost 40 years with Steeleye Span, Fiddle player Peter Knight's name and reputation are known to most people with an interest in Traditional Music. His idiosyncratic style, which effortlessly traverses several genres has been an inspiration to many, and yet to a great extent the full range of his playing is still largely unknown. That is about to change..... Wishing to create an opportunity to explore more fully the areas of Music that interest him, Peter created his own trio 'Gigspanner' where he is joined by Guitarist Roger Flack and Afro-Percussionist Vincent Salzfaas, who are in the words of festival organiser Geoff Boudreau "both powerful and intelligent musicians in their own right". Leave your pre-conceptions at the Door. Together they explore Traditional Music and its related themes with emotional energy, brilliance and spontaneity. It is Music regarded with a fresh eye, and yet retains a sense of the familiar at its heart. What people are saying...... Gigspanner turned out to be one of the best bands I have ever booked at Ruskin Mill, I’m not sure that we’ve had better musicians. Peter Knight’s fiddle playing is as beautiful a combination of skill and love as I have ever heard. Vincent Salzfaaz on percussion and Roger Flack on guitar were perfect, equally excellent. The music Gigspanner creates crosses all boundaries; there’s folk, classical, jazz, blues - none of it is what is homogeneously called ‘fusion’, a term that covers all sins – but all of it so creative and sensitive, intelligent and skillful. The experience left the audience blown away, we all had the most fantastic night. I have never had such courteous negotiations with any band, and it didn’t change. The guys were lovely to know, grateful for all our efforts to make them feel at home and they had an easy rapport with the audience.I’m booking them again for next year". Sue Smee,Ruskin Mill,Gloucestershire. "One of the most magical evenings we've ever had at Folk in the Barn, and we've had a few! Peter, Roger and Vincent entranced us with their sublime musicianship and no-one wanted the evening to end. Can't wait to have them back.Its hard to put into words just how great it was"! Debs Earl, Promoter: Folk in the Barn, Kent. "Gigspanner are an unassuming trio, but when they start to play – WOW! The audience are grabbed by a performance of dazzling musicianship with breathtaking, virtuoso fiddling from Peter Knight, backed by superb guitar work and Afro-percussion from Roger and Vincent. All were won over by the emotion that these performers put into their music and the love they show in sharing it with people. A member of the audience summed it up with the words, ‘I don’t have the superlatives to describe it. It was a performance of the highest degree"!’ John and Jan Culf, Promoters: Harberton Folk, Devon "After a successful first appearance in 2009, Peter Knight’s Gigspanner will be a must for my future programming. Audience feedback was excellent and they will be a major force next time as the audience bring friends along for another great evening." Jim Minall - Friends of Folk/FoF Promotions “I knew with their pedigree Gigspanner would give the Bridport audience a good night out. What I wasn’t prepared for was how fantastic they are live, and how much I personally would enjoy the evening. The sheer musical talent, and their great choice of material, from variations on 'Autumn Leaves' to folk legends like 'Banks of the Suir', meant there was something for everyone. When I found myself on my feet dancing with the audience to the last few numbers, I was delighted I had booked them" Margie Barbour, Program Manager, Bridport Arts Centre. "I was absolutely delighted with Gigspanner's performance, it was one of my Festival Highlights and I will certainly be booking them again in future. One can only describe Peter Knight's performance as virtuoso, with Vincent Salzfaas and Roger Flack both powerful and intelligent musicians in their own right". Geoff Boudreau, Rye Arts Festival organiser. "Gigspanner entranced the audience........they brought the house down" Peter Cripps for The Gloucestershire Echo "I was entirely mesmerised. I must say it ranks in the top 3 highlights of any festival/gig/concert I have attended. Spine-tinglingly brilliant"!! Kim Thompsett(Musician) Rye Festival Review "Knight's high level of technical expertise, coupled with his willingness to step outside the boundaries of any particular genre, make him an artist of the highest calibre". Folksy Links "Articulate, often multi-lingual music making" Julian Cowley "The Wire" Peter Knight's 'Gigspanner': Band Biography Although his name is synonymous with the seminal Folk-Rock Band 'Steeleye Span', Peter Knight has avoided being categorised purely as a Folk Musician due to the diversity of musical genres that he chooses to apply to his music making, and to the musicians he has chosen to work with. Peter has a rare gift of being able to seamlessly embrace a number of musical styles with consummate skill and effortless grace. His prodigious talent was recognised at an early age when in true Billy Elliot style his life changed by winning a place at The Royal Academy of Music in London, an experience that has indelibly left its mark on Peter's style of playing. Resisting the lure of an extension to continue his studies as a classical soloist under the tutelage of an eminent Professor, Peter left the Royal Academy at 16 and was drawn to the copious presence of Irish Music that was flourishing in London during the 1960's. Inspired initially by the legendary Fiddle players Michael Coleman and Michael Gorman, Peter totally immersed himself into the playing of traditional music and began performing in Folk Clubs with guitarist Bob Johnson. Being invited by Ashley Hutchings to join the fledgling 'Steeleye Span' secured his place within the annals of British Folk Music, but an encounter with renowned Saxophonist Trevor Watts marked a very significant turning point in Peter's musical journey when he was introduced to the area of free improvisation. Peter counts his playing with Trevor and his Bands 'Moiré Music' and 'The Drum Orchestra' as one of his most deeply influential and formative experiences, and has continued to use both improvisation and free improvisation as means of accessing a rich seam of emotion and depth of feeling, something that is particularly in evidence with his Trio 'Gigspanner'. Guitarist and Composer Roger Flack is a well known and much respected Musician on the vibrant Hastings Music scene. Originally a Piano player and later a Drummer, Roger is now Primarily known as a Rock guitarist whose playing has been described as 'flawless', and his work with Gigspanner undoubtedly reflects his sensitivity and intuition as a performer within the area of improvisation. "Despite being capable of string based fireworks", Roger has in the words of reviewer and Radio contributor Joshua Roberts "worked out the truth of the statement that less is more. In so many ways the band is built upon his solid and quiet presence" Roger is also a founder member of the Celtic Folk Rock Band 'The Tabs' whose numbers include Fiddle player Garry Blakeley (Feast of Fiddles, Band of Two). Afro-Percussionist Vincent Salzfaas is an inventive and colourfully expressive player who in addition to working globally as a Touring Musician, also contributes much to the advancement of African Drumming by means of Workshops through Schools and Festivals. Although Vincent actually studied in Senegal, he is not afraid of pushing the boundaries in applying his expertise within the other genres of Music, and his imaginative application of African techniques to the traditional tunes explored by Gigspanner is evidence of this. His playing is described by Joshua Roberts as "a revelation. At times turning his percussion into a lead instrument, at other times providing driving rhythms, giving the music a highly original lift" Gigspanner was originally formed by Peter with fellow Hastings based musicians as a vehicle to play the music he is passionate about at a local level when not working with Steeleye. In recent times it has become obvious that the Music is worthy of a much wider audience, and Gigspanner has now begun to tour at a national level and their Debut CD 'Lipreading the Poet' was released in November 2008. Website: http://www.peterknight.net/gigspanner.htm To enquire about booking Gigspanner: 07974 842950 Or e-mail Deborah or Peter at peter@peterknight.net