Speakeasy Spirit Swings into Much Wenlock as The Rigmarollers Light Up The Edge
There was the unmistakable thud of a kick drum fashioned from a suitcase, the rasp of harmonica and the bounce of sousaphone, and suddenly The Edge Arts Centre felt more like 1920s Memphis by way of New Orleans. The Rigmarollers – Ed Hopwood (harmonica, percussion and vocals), Julian Marshall (guitar and vocals) and Ewan Penkey (sousaphone) – delivered a riotously entertaining evening of original songs performed in vintage blues, ragtime and jugband style on Friday night, all laced with sharp musicianship and even sharper wit. From the opening stomp of What’s the Use in Walking to the first use of a washboard on Nancy Jane, the trio had the Much Wenlock audience hooked.
Their songs – many joyfully revolving around drinking, dubious decisions and tales of hard luck – felt both authentic and freshly minted. Highlights included the dusky Sweet Liquor, the hazy Macadam Bill and a rousing, audience-powered Duck’s Blood Breakdown, while Mr Crawfish prompted the entire room to wiggle their fingers in the air. Between numbers, the band’s easy banter kept spirits high, and by the time Mr Crump Don’t Like It became an audience singalong, it was clear the crowd was loving every minute.
The Rigmarollers create a massive sound from just three players, blending harmonica, guitar, sousaphone, percussion and that suitcase drum into something irresistibly danceable. With an appearance lined up at Beardy Folk Festival in June, festivalgoers are in for a treat: if this Edge performance is anything to go by, they’ll be packing out the tent and leaving with sore feet and big smiles.