TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Which have been your personal fave wintour support acts?

And who would you like to see as support next year?

Personally I would love to see Martha Tilston in the job in 2008..
I think she would be a very popular choice.

I enjoyed Steve Tilston, Anna Ryder, Bob Fox, David Hughes, Simon & Hilary the best.

Has anyone compiled a complete list?? I have all the programmes from 1990 but they are scattered all over the place!

Tidy yourself up woman!

Nah.. I wouldn't be able to find anything if I did!

 So who was your fave support act then Cocker??

Bob Foxzzzz.  :)

From the Fairport List FAQ pages.

1990   Kieran Halpin
1991   Jay Turner
1992   Roger & Beryl Marriott
1993   Vikki Clayton
1994   John B Spencer
1995   Huw & Tony Williams
1996   Julian Dawson
1997   Fraser Nimmo
1998   David Hughes
1999   annA rydeR
2000   Bob Fox
2001   Steve Tilston
2001/02   Vikki Clayton
2003   Andy Guttridge
2004   Mundy-Turner
2005   Simon Mayor and Hilary James
2006   P J Wright
2007   Tiny Tin Lady

I've only been to a very few wintours, but of the ones I saw, I enjoyed Simon Mayor and Hilary James the best.

Would love to have seen David Hughes though. Any chance of him coming back? 8)

Thanks for that Mikec ;D

Good call Shirl.. he was quite good I seem to remember.. ;)

It looks as though Jay Turner is the only act to have played twice..  1991 and 2004.

Vikki C did too...  :)

Whoops.. so she did.. better put my glasses on!

Favourite support acts:  Bob Fox, PJ Wright and Anna Ryder, in that order.

To support:  SotBH, Ken Nicol, Niamh Parsons, or Jez Lowe, in no particular order.

David Hughes wrote the best book.

Songs of the Blue House are just a Songs from the Blue House covers band.

They cost twice as much though.

My favourite support acts which I actually saw from the list would be the Marriotts, Julian Dawson and Steve Tilston

The  best Beryl Marriott, Huw & Tony, Jay Turner (first time).
Like them all to a degree apart from Simon & Hilary, who I found boring.
Would like to see Les Barker, Michael Weston King, Boo Hewerdine.

Where's Hughes bin since 1998 then?!  :o That's 9 years this year, time for an encore methinks!  ::)

I'll second that JJ 8)

I will third it..!

 ;D ;D

I'll fourth it :D

And I wonder when there'll be another album ???  I'm sure someone could explain...

Huw & Tony for me.

Special mention though for Vicky Clayton. At the Worthing gig of the 2001 tour Simon was struck down with flu/laryngitis or some such. He looked like death, had to sit down throughout the gig and was completely unable to sing. The result was that not only did Vicky do her own support slot but she deputised for Simon throughout the entirety of Fairport's performance. Consequently we were treated to a blistering and blissful set of Sandy era Fairport tunes culminating in a Liege & Lief style Matty, making it a unique and special night.

Most enjoyable (since 97) - Bob Fox though I'd prefer to see a David Hughes return in 08.
Looking for a new (young) act, I'd love to see Ben Murray & Rosie Doonan. Please not Martha T unless she promises not to sing any self-written songs. She has a great voice but no feel for the cadences of the English language.  :o

Cannot agree with that.  And the reason I can't agree with it is because it is wrong  ;)  I love Martha's self-written songs...

You're wrong, Panda.

Go and stand in the corner till a Mod let's you go for tea.

You can go for tea now, Panda.

I enjoyed Mundy-Turner. Nice couple and lovely music.

My absolute faves tho (not Wintour but accoustic but I've not seen them that often so I'm taking a f*****' liberty) were the Fastlane Roogalators in the 100 Club.

They were fantastic!  :)

Number two in a field of one!

Well there's a first time for everything....arf arf.... ;D

So many good musicians! Such hard choices. Of those I have heard and have not been recent Winter Tour support, I'd plump for David, Martha or SftBH.

My favorite support act for the Winter Tour (SO FAR!) has been Simon Mayor and Hilary James -  this is mainly because of the  Hilary’s Appalachian Mountain dancing routine  whilst wearing an evening dress!  That was a year I went a bit mental and managed to see the winter tour 5 times  Croydon,Canturbury, High Wycombe, St Albans and  Birmingham  (I think) - sadly Hilary dropped the dancing at the third venue due to an ankle inury – and despite re-assurances that it would be resumed at Cropredy  it never made it back into  the act.

I always think it’s a shame that recordings of Fairport guesting on the support’s last number are not available on cd I thought the Hilary James tune they did together was particulary pleasant.

For me ist was annA rydeR, Julian Dawson and David Hughes.

Show of Hands & All About Eve (Acoustic) for me.

I like Martha Tilston's album.

Ditto - the lyrics to the song "Artificial" are excellent. I can relate to them fully.

For me...

Top 3 (no particular order): Hilary n Simon, Huw n Tony W. Make it top 4... Steve Tilston.

Can't vote for Mr Hughes as I didn't actually go and see that tour, but read his diary avidly, does that count?

Next time: Yay to a return for David H ... don't suppose we'd get a replay of the Tango would we?

One act I don't want to return: Anna Ryder.

D
xx

She does seem to divide opinion doesn't she?!  I have to admit to not thinking an awful lot of her support slot when I saw her but saw her a few years later at a little festival and really enjoyed her.  The book was quite enjoyable too...

Cannot agree with that.  And the reason I can't agree with it is because it is wrong    I love Martha's self-written songs...

Ditto - the lyrics to the song "Artificial" are excellent. I can relate to them fully.
Tri-itto!! -and 'Firefly' and 'Seagul' and.... and....
Back on topic: Huw & Tony and Tilson snr., and Julian Dawson if he'll cheer up!

Are you not going to suggest Glenn LaTouche for support then Polly??

 ;D ;) ;D

Ahh, Mr T: now he's more a long rocking summer afternoon... ;)

Since the official winter tours began I would have to say that I enjoyed the Marriotts, Vikki C and Andy Guttridge the best.  But I do remember Bryn Haworth being excellent many many years ago!  For some reason it sticks in my mind.  And I would like to see Nick Harper supporting the boys one day.  I really enjoyed his set at Croppers the other year (it probably helped that he encored with a Zappa song.  If you remember the song, you'll understand why I got some very odd looks as I made my way back from the bar through the seated masses, singing along at the top of my voice).  Or a guy called John Smith, who supported John Martyn at the Barbican last year and was just superb.

Well, I'd like to see Chris While and Julie Matthews as the support act. Then I'd like them to stay on stage for the second half and sing with Fairport. It would make me a very happy man.

Chris While Julie Matthews & Fairport - What a great idea.
Just the thought brightens the day

Mmm, well Chris will be on stage on 10th August...
- how long till tickets go on sale?...   :)

They're on sale right now!! ;D

What about Richard Digance as a warm up act? He's supported Steeleye Span way back in '74. My dad was there at norwich.

Yes what a great combination,  what a night that would be!

I think he suppored Steeleye again sometime in the 80's .  He's great entertainment

He also supported Fairport a lot on their early 80's winter tourlets...certainly at Wimbledon where I used to see them.  Has he learnt any new jokes in the last couple of decades then?

Judging by the last few Cropredy Saturday mornings - not many  :D

That said he has been funny in the graveyard slot.

There's Only one Fairport.  Simon Nicolo, Dave Pegg, Chris Leslie, Ric Sanders, Gerry Conway.

Allcock, Thompson, Denny, Lucas, Swarb, Cuthbert, Dyble, Grub, Donohue, Lamble, Mattacks, Rowland, Hutchins, Mathews... And some chaps I've missed off!

That would be Hugh, Pugh, barney McGrew then.  ;D

Paul

Cuthbert?

Trumpton. ;D ;D ;D

Pugh! Pugh! Barney McGrew! Cuthbert! Dibble! Grubb! Pugh and Pugh are twins, although many misheard it as "Hugh! Pugh!" and assumed they were not related

Severe topic drift alert here...

Bob Fox.

I'd pay to see Digance as support.  Even without any new jokes.

He's an act in his own right. Seeing him at Harlow Playhouse 7th June.

I used to like Digance both as a comedian/raconteur and particuarly as a folk singer in his early days but his increasingly xenophobic/anti-immigrant/little englander act has been a low spot of the last two Cropredys. at leaqst if he was support on the winter tour there would be no need to go into the theqtre until halfway through.

Absolutely. And very funny!

The late John B. Spencer. If the recording exists of his solo electric version of "Forgotten the Blues" I'd love to hear him sing it again.

Did anyone hear Richard Digance's song about John Constable at Cropredy last year (2006). It was absolutely beautiful and I really liked it. He should write more serious songs.

Digance or Hughes anyday - I consider the choice of support carefully before purchasing tickets..................

He's on at the Arena St Albans 7th June. A solo evening I'm looking forward to.

Digance is too bloody expensive.


He must have ponced a whole packet of my cigarettes last year  :(

I'd much rather see Hughes than Digance! ;D

That's a no-brainer.  I find laughing AT Digance more than a little tiresome.  He strikes me as just genuinely not funny, and as he gets older seems to be moving more and more in line with the Little Englander Daily Express reading view of life that I always thought he sailed a little too close to for comfort.

So would I...  bring back DH!!

Personally, I'd rather see Tablo doing his monologue. Think the chaps could afford him?

Nobody would listen at that time of day - too early.

This topic seems to have fragmented  into two topics and discussions.

Under the header Fairport wintour support acts.

For me it's very difficult to chose a favourite, I have never been disappointed by the choice of support act FC have made for their winter tours. Some one in FC's camp seems to have knack of finding these sometimes almost unknown performers, the brilliant Bob Fox is a perfect example, playing in folk clubs, almost unheard of outside his native north east before doing the winter tour a few years ago, now deservedly firmly established as a full time musician. TTL are another case in point, spotted by FC three years ago and given their big chance this year, who knows what they might achieve in the future.

With regard to Richard Digance and Cropredy.

Over recent years he has made the graveyard spot his own and judging by the enthusiastic response he generates from the hoard of punters that each year form a very disorderly audience down at the front during his act, there is little doubt he is the right man for what is undeniably a difficult job.
In the past Richard has been offered several different spots on the Cropredy bill but has always insisted on doing this one. He believes the so called graveyard spot is just perfect for him and he for it and I for one would agree with him.

I'm talking about tour support acts Chris, not the graveyard slot for Cropredy.  ^-^

How about Bernard Wrigly as a support act

Well blow me down with a feather... I have just said the same thing in another thread

Petition For Tablo ?

Tablo... are you free ?

Free..? I bet Tablo would PAY to be FC support!!

Nah.. I have him down as a crafty beggar... he'd know that there was a couple of bob in it and he'd be worth every penny

Sorry for being very ingnorant, but who is Tablo?  ???

Tablo is an associate of the esteemed Cocker Freeman

Sorry Ollie....

As you are a young 'un you won't be able to get into the Corporation Arms (think: virtual pub)

In there were are sometimes entertained by Tablo who, to say the least, is unique

No doubt Mr Freeman may give you more information in due course

 ;)

In fact, only today I had a telelphone conversation with Cocker and he told me Tablo was 'resting.' Hopefully in readiness for his next antics no doubt!  ;D

Oh, what's the Arms like?? Virtual pub sounds interesting.

...at the risk of going off-topic and having my ear clipped..

A bit like any pub - noisy, sometimes smelly, sometimes rowdy, sometimes a bit risque (hence the age limit thing)

The real 'music' stuff takes place outside of the Arms though.

Sorry, you appeared to be responding to Amy & others above your post - and they were definitely talking about Cropredy - unless Digance was a suggestion for tour support, which I think unlikely!

It was a suggestion by some which is why I said I wanted Tablo. Everything got a bit crossed as per usual.