by Lorraine Gibson.

There’s nothing like a rousing, old-time country music hoedown to cheer up a winter’s night, and there’s certainly nothing quite like a Buffalo Gals’ version of one.
Specialists in the original grass-roots, hard-life sounds of America, the six-piece’s visual and melodic antics combined with the joshing, joyful rapport they build with audiences has made them one of the UK’s most sought-after acts on the US roots-inspired circuit.

Now they are heading to Dorset to perform three concerts for rural communities through the Artsreach arts charity. Led by champion USA fiddler and funny-gal Kate Lissauer, they deliver string-band tradition ballads, rags and work songs, and the spiritual numbers of Appalachia, bluegrass and early country.
Driven by fiddle, banjo, double-bass, ukulele, guitar and soaring harmonies, the Buffalo Gals style is punctuated by stunning, syncopated traditional Appalachian ‘step-dancer’, aka stomping and ‘body percussion’, to toe-tapping tunes in what is billed as ‘an irresistible and uplifting show’.
Buffalo Gals are at Stalbridge (01963 362978) on Thursday, December 1; Corfe Castle (07590 352219) on Friday, December 2; and Powerstock (01308 485730) on Saturday, December 3. Further information and tickets from www.artsreach.co.uk.