Coal Porters

feat. Sid Griffin

24.11.2001

Blue Shell, Köln

Formed eighteen years ago in Los Angeles the Coal Porters were originally an electric rock group centred around native Kentuckian Sid Griffin, the ex-Long Ryder who wrote the hit single “Looking For Lewis And Clark”. Exchanging a home in Los Angeles for one in London in February 1992 Griffin’s original Coal Porters enjoyed indie chart success in the UK and Europe and toured frequently. But when Griffin produced the comeback album of British folk-rock legends Lindisfarne he found himself inspired by that band’s acoustic instrumentation. Upon completion of Lindisfarne’s Here Comes The Neighborhood album Griffin found himself the proud new owner of a mandolin. With that mandolin the acoustic, bluegrass Coal Porters were born. And bluegrass music received a very real shot in the arm as the band’s roots in punk and rockabilly gave their music an edge and the genre of “alt-bluegrass” was born.