The Horse Loom (solo guitar / songs from Northumbria) + Andrew DR Abbott

The Horse Loom
Breathtaking folk guitar and vocals from Northumberland’s Steve Malley of John Peel and Fugazi favourites Crane and The Unit Ama. Compelling acoustic fingerstyle mastery touching on Jansch / Basho / Kottke punctuated by dark storytelling.
https://lowpoint.bandcamp.com/album/the-horse-loom

Andrew DR Abbott
Instrumental compositions for (baritone) acoustic guitar from Halifax
https://andyabbott.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-clover-hill

at Puzzle Hall Inn, 21 Hollins Mill Lane, Sowerby Bridge, HX6 2RF
4pm – 6pm
FREE ENTRY with donations for bands gratefully accepted.

—- more info —-

‘The Horse Loom is the name given to the music made by Northumbrian singer and guitarist Steve Malley, who you might best know as the driving force of the corruscating power trio The Unit Ama. Malley’s solo work sits adjacent, but somewhat in opposition, to his band output – adding his work with intense post-hardcore bands Crane and Four Frame.

Channelling the same extended, exploratory, on-the-edge quality of his guitarwork through an acoustic setting, he uses this to frame a portfolio of truly extraordinary songs that combine mysticism with a very rooted, earthy reality. Added to that his rich, unaffected voice and you have something unique and special, and which has made The Horse Loom a word-of-mouth phenomenon to compare with fellow Tynesiders Richard Dawson and Nev Clay.’

“Northumberland’s best kept secret” The Wire.

“Acoustic songs that interweave his surprisingly tender vocals with his truly incredible guitar style that recalls Davy Graham or Bert Jansch at their finest”

“Where to start to describe The Horse Loom? The best acoustic guitar player in the country? Maybe. The most unique marriage between British folk music, avant garde guitar playing and punk rock spirit? Certainly. Wonderful? Definitely. Under-rated? You’ll have to ask him about that.

Northumbrian guitarist and singer Steve Malley would doubtless be extremely embarrassed to read any of these things. That says a lot. Steve played guitar in Crane in the early 90s, whose post-Husker Du take on The Byrds-meets-DC hardcore earned them a deserving reputation as one of the UK’s finest live bands. He would go on to play in Kodiak, Four Frame and then most notably The Unit Ama. The Unit Ama existed in direct contrast to their (musical) peers from America. Whereas a cold and cool approach was favoured by the bands from across the pond, The Ama dropped any of this façade and opened themselves and their music to possibilities of accident and misfortune creating a live experience that was truly inspiring. I say with total sincerity that they changed a lot of people’s musical outlook forever.

The Horse Loom sees Steve take this approach and apply it to his love of folk music. Combining folk structures and melodies with his incredible guitar playing has made The Horse Loom something truly unique.” – Chris Summerlin