HORSEBATH at The Strines Nightingale, 17.10.2025

Although I’m a Stockport photographer, the majority of my bookings do take place elsewhere – Manchester or Liverpool for example. But there’s a fantastic music venue round the corner from me in Marple – The Strines Nightingale.

I’ve shot there before – a few times now – but the venue just keeps on stacking its gig listings higher than ever. Last Friday it was the turn of HORSEBATH, touring the UK and Europe from Canada. They call themselves country rock, but psych folk could also describe them. There’s 5 of them, all incredibly polite and cheerful, and they sound absolutely fantastic.

So I was veyr privileged to lvie walking distance from such a great gig. Their music was perfect for an intimate venue like the Nightingale – and while the band’s influences are strong (The Band, CS&N, some Velvets and Beatles in there too) – they never sounded derivative. Americana, folk, country, whatever you’d like to call it – it sounded fantastic.

The venue was sold out and people responded really well, as evidenced by the amount of vinyl signed and shifted after the gig. The guys move southwards now, onto Spain via London and France, where I’m sure their North American rootsy tones will be well received by all.