Reviews

Promising to create ‘a little gospel in a city of so many grey churches’, OCMS’ performance could have drawn Manchester’s most devout to dance in the aisles. And probably converted a few more to the scruffy delights of chew tobacco and cheap whisky.

The Cuban-heeled quintet reeled out a raw set steeped in folk, gospel, bluegrass, blues and traditional American roots music, drawing songs from their first album, OCMS, and their critically-acclaimed 2006 release, Big Iron World.

Layers of mandolin, banjo, guitar, harmonica and plaintive vocal harmony were rhythmically held together by Kevin Hayes on the guit-jo and Morgan Jahnig’s upright bass.

Ketch Secor dominated the stage with his fast-and-loose fiddle in their version of Woody Guthrie’s Union Maid, while Critter Fuqua stole the show with his gritty vocals in New Virginia Creeper and the poignant Big Time In The Jungle – a politically charged tale of a farm hand duped into participating in the Vietnam war.

An exuberant rendition of Minglewood Blues left Willie Watson with his first broken string of the set and showcased his full-throttle vocals.

Crowd participation climaxed during Cocaine Habit and Wagon Wheel, belting out lyrics along with the bands carefully crafted three part-harmonies.

Old Crow Medicine Show’s foot-stomping recipe for old-time country music concocted on sun-drenched stoops brought a warm and welcome glow to the hearts of the crowd, chilled by autumn’s first bite.