TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Right just to celebrate the 40th birthday, what has been your best Fairport gig ever?

I can think of lots of brilliant ones with many different lineups but my fav, that I would really like to go back to and do again, was in a large tent in the grounds of Thoresby Park, Notts in the summer of 1979.

Simon, Peggy, Bruce, and Swarb. Just brilliant especially Swarb pushing buttons on a massive stomp box during Sloth. Heaven!

Having only been to 4 (is that it?) gigs, I would have to say last year at Cropredy, just because it was my first Cropredy. Although the 06 gig at Cambridge was pretty good. BTW, my view may change by the end of the year. Something tells me one of their best gigs is yet to come....

best???
probably the 9 nine up at the hardrock in stretford although thers been loads of belters
a particular favourite being the FAC gig at the band on the wall in 2000/2001? this being the first time id seen them bar cropredy 97  since the split in 79

Not sure quite what 'best' means...but favourite would probably be the first few times I saw them in the early 80's at Wimbledon theatre - the SN, BR, DP, DS lineup - along with an honourable mention for the 25th Anniversary show (with Chris on fiddle) at Cropredy '92....

I was at the vast majority of those Dave mentions above, & I agree that those are probly amongst my favourite.

Johnny Jones was 'resident' at the theatre in those days, hence the regulatrity of gigs at Wimbledon.

I guess it would have to be the first time I saw them, which unfortunately was only three years ago (in Basingstoke). I say unfortunately, because I can regret all the time I could have been liking them, had I known of them earlier! But better late than never. I went along not knowing what I would hear, expecting it to be possibly mildly entertaining, and came away with the zeal of a convert (and clutching a Cropredy leaflet).

A lot depends on who you were with and what was going on in your own life etc etc. . .but for me five gigs (out of the many I've seen) really stand out.

October 1970, Leicester de Montfort Hall, Full House line-up: the first time I'd seen them live. Life changing (really) for a 15-year old lad.

June 1975, Albert Hall. Sandy, Swarb, Jerry, Peggy, Trevor and Bruce. Sublime.

August 1979, Cropredy. When we really thought it was farewell. End of an era.

Late 1985 (?) Wimbledon Theatre - the re-formed band with Maart and Ric. Wasn't expecting much (as a big Swarb fan), but completely blew me away.

1992 - 25th anniversary gig at Cropredy. Everything about this was perfect. (Hats off to Chris Leslie!)

If I had to choose just one to take with me, Kirsty. . .well I guess 92, but I have a sneaky suspicion a certain couple of days in August this year might just come close.

'69 Fairfield Hall Croydon L&L  One of my first live shows and still one of the best.  Life changing!
Can't wait 'til August!  (You'd think at my age I could handle the excitement better)

I was a relative latecomer so sadly never saw the band pre "the split". But in the last 20 years or so I have probably seen them a hundred times. I agree about Cropredy 92 and also loved 97 but excluding Cropredy there is one particular gig that really stands out in my memory.

Gosport Festival 1992.

A lot of the best Fairport performances I have seen seem to have been born of adversity. Broken legs, lost voices, flu and Peggy's well documented troubles a few years ago all seem to have made the band work harder on stage in a bid maybe to snatch triumph from the jaws of disaster. So it was in Gosport in 92. It was just after Ric's window incident so the gig was performed by the short lived Nicol, Pegg, Maart, DM, Leslie line up. It was a hot day in a crowded tent and Fairport played with the fire and electricity of men on a mission. The audience were energised in a way I have never seen outside of Cropredy, aided no doubt by it being an all standing gig. Fabulous.

Honourable mention too for the valedictory performance at Cropredy in 2004, reducing me to tears when we all thought that it might be the last time.

You lucky, lucky bastard!!! I am soooooo jelous  ;D

I have the same difficulty in choosing just the one, so here are my best:

August 1974 The Live lineup with Sandy in Gothenburg, outdoors. My first live encounter with the band.It blew me away.Proved to me that Fairport should be seen and heard LIVE.

July 1977 Prescote Manor, Cropredy. Like a small club gig, very intimate. Almost stumbled into Sandy in the dark. I never gave up hope during the evening that she would come on for a guest spot. But the lads were terrific. That four-piece lineup was really something!!!

October 1985 Goteborg, small club gig. New Maart-Ric-Peggy-DM-Simon on blistering form. And well spirited. I have some really nice slides.... ;D ;D ;D

and finally a tie between two Danish gigs, Nibe November 2002 and Elsinore October 2005 for being my family's first live encounters with the band.

But not last. Can't wait for August....

Staffan

I've moved that chat about Jerry Donahue into its own thread.

My favourites have to the the FAC gigs.  It's so nice to be in a smaller venue.  I tend to arrive really early as I can't bear hanging around at home and I've found that if I get there early the theatre staff are usually very accomodating vis the motorcycle gear too.

As a newcomer I've only seen the current lineup live, the Wood & Wire tour was when my folks dragged me down to Croydon to see them.  That was a good gig, considering I didn't know any of the songs then.  Meet on the Ledge totally blew me away!

But my favourite gig of all time must have been the FAC gig that a member of the board put on in somewhere near Gravesend...  Blimey, CRAFT moment!!  Met a couple of other TAW's there, got a front row seat and it was utterly Brilliant.  Gerry's first FAC tour, without Peggy.  The first tour that Ric and Simon did the segue thing into Summertime - that was great to see.

:)  Memories.

Can't wait for August.

My favorite gig was about three or four years ago when they played at St George's Church in Beckenham Kent (local to me) - as part of a local arts festival (something to do with links with former boss of island records or something) It was a small intimate gig and the church accoustics were wonderful - well it was my personal favorite.

I suppose my best has to be my first..... :)

I didn’t see FC live until relatively recently – about 2002 I believe. It was in a venue in South Wales  - Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd.

 The previous year I had travelled to Newport to see them. It turned out that on that occasion the venue was still under construction, so the gig did not materialise. (unsurprisingly) I felt like a child who had been told that Santa Claus was dead…..

That was meant to be my first live FC moment, so I was desperately disappointed.

SO, when I DID see them at Pontypridd I still wouldn’t believe it was real, even though we were in our seats…..then Ric came onstage and I (blush) shouted out “It’s Ric!” and I knew it was really going to happen this time.

The opening track was “Journeyman’s Grace” with Chris Leslie taking the vocal. My first ever “live” FC track, and always a favourite.

Happy days

There have been other joyful occasions since then, sitting in the front row and being smiled at by Peggy and Chris....but the first gig has to be the best.

So far. ;)
 

Cropredy 1997, the 30th. anniversary one, definetly. What seemed an extra long set, great set list, great playing; the boiling hot sun, great atmosphere. Even some "worldly" Americans near me in the crowd who said this was the best gig they had been to, here or the USA.

FAC, Robin2, 8th Novemeber 2006.

January 1985.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Swarb,
Simon,
Peggy
& Bruce.

1974 (I think). Greenwich Borough Hall (I think).

Not only my first FC gig but my first really great gig. I wish I could remember whom I went with.
Fantastic.
I was bowled over and went straight up to HMV in Oxford street on my next day off to buy an album or two, even though it meant fasting to pay for them.

Best FC gig for me was at the 100 CLub a few years ago, it was the acoustic set but Peggy was still with them and it was the first time for Mr B so I really wanted them to be good.

And they were! Brilliant night, Mr B impressed. Everyone happy!  :)

Cropredy 1997. Very emotional too. The song Wings still sends chills up my spine when I hear it on the Cropredy Box. So much anticipation before they came on; I was never that excited/emotional at any FC gig. I had the distinct feeling I was to see the Full House line up in this form for the very last time and cried during Now Be Thankful. Sure enough, due to his health troubles since, Swarb played, but never sang with that particular line up again so in a way I was right.
Outside Cropredy it must be, for obvious reasons, the time they played at my wedding, 8 November 2003 in ******g Grolloo (sorry - but I didn't know that then) (these stars appear automatically when you type in that word). Not only because of the event, but also because they played real well that night.
And Cropredy 1998 for social reasons. And because it's a cunning way to tell you that I have the offcial CD Woodworm released of this in 1999 on eBay right now (naughty innit, to mention this here).
 

1. First FC show I saw - (Simon, Swarb, Peggy, DM) - Ainsdale beach early 70s - with Steeleye for Granada TV show
2. Cropredy 79 - SO emotional.
3. Acoustic - Swindon Arts Centre, mid-80s - intimate, hot, and band on top form (Simon, Ric, Maart & Peggy)
4. Birmingham - last night of the winter tour, when Swarb came on... & Ric played his solo in MOTL kneeling at Swarb's side. Makes me tingle just thinking about it.

Oh hell. Off the top of my head......

1971 - Albert Hall Nottingham. RT had just left. 1st half was Carthy & Swarbrick!

Drury Lane 1974 or summat. Sandy came on near the end. Rhythm section incredible.

Thoresby Hall 1979 (hi Puggs)

Friday Cropredys 1997 and 2002.

This year, Cropredy.

 

1) The XXXV show in Brum that year,my first live fairport experience, then, maybe the time i saw Fairport rehearsing for someof the material on over the next hill in woodworm studios maybe.....

The 30th anniversary Cropredy for me, largely due to the lengthy trawl through FC's histry and Ashley's witty commentary.

As for indoor shows, either the Fairport Acoustic Convention show at Chipping Norton Theatre in 1988 (I think!) or the Oxford Apollo gig on the Jewel in the Crown tour..

I don't know exactly when it was but a certain Pete Standing of this board said  ... "come and see Fairport with me at High Wycombe i'm sure your like them"  I was already a great fan of Chris Leslie and it a the Wood and the Wire tour.  needless to say I loved the gig.  It was tremendous.  Cropredy followed.  

Too many great gigs to mention:  at the moment the ones that stick in my memory are Rising For The Moon at Drury Lane and Full House at the Half Moon.  The first because it was great gig and the last time I saw Sandy with Fairport and the second because it was a legendary line up having so much fun playing together again.  (and it was a bloody hot night, too!)

(Oh yes - and Babbacombe Lee at Cropredy 1982 was pretty good, too, as was Liege and Lief with Cathy Le Surf in 1983 )

Three come to mind...

(a) Parliament Hill Field Spring 1968.... Fairport Convention with Jefferson Airplane... rained like a good'un all day... proto-skinheads (bless 'em) tried to rough up the heads... I think Sandy was late (or maybe it was an all-male FC? Pretty sure Jude had already left.... age does not permit any more accurate a recollection).

(b) September 1968 at Royal Festival Hall... with Joni Mitchell (UK debut.... superb)

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

Loads of good gigs 1968-70... but those were special.

Even yogic breathing exercises can't stop me hyperventilating with jealousy....  :)

and breathe and.....

it's just a matter of being extremely old... Great gigs though... Seeing Joni's first London concert is as big a memory as the first Leonard Cohen... but Nick Drake.... superb but clearly terrified... Wish I had seen him more... and then there's The Archies... :))

For so many reasons my favourite just HAS to be Chateau Neuf, Oslo in February 1975. I'd seen them at a festival the previous year, but this was my first FC gig proper. Sandy Denny was at her breathtaking best and Swarb was firing on all cylinders. Jerry Doanhue later told me he had a terrible flu - which was impossible to tell. And Paul Warren turned in a heroic performance in place of the recently departed Dave Mattacks.

I left the hall with stars in my eyes. Over 30 years later an unknown recording of it enabled me to put it out on CD with the full co-operation of all surviving members. Even Paul Warren sent me a wonderful mail after I'd worked my ass off trying to track him down. Peggy bumped into him at a birthday party and told him about the CD. His story would have graced the cover. But there you go.

One other great FC moment for me: The "Full house" line-up headlining friday night at Cropredy 1985. I'm still frustrated only one from it track turned up on the Cropredy Capers box set.

T-R

Awww, bless him.   :(

Jules

And I hadn't even mentioned the Dagenham Roundhouse just after Rich T Bizkid had left in early 1971... You  winning hands down against Swarb and Peggy trying to push the guitar licks too fast! Well done the Bruce Welch of the Folk-Rock world!!

Broughton Castle '81... Rocked my socks off, it did. ;). Full House, Judy Dyble, Smiddyburn and Jerry Lee Lewis (in roughly that order)...