TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

An appearance at Kensington Village Hall coming up + Seth & Kate Rusby  :).

http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php

First time there since '75 with Sandy?

Doesn't appear to be on the TCT website. Hopefully, I'll be there...

What a prestigious headline spot.  Superb...well done chaps  :)  Great charity too.....

Hopefully it will be filmed ...

it was announced on radio 5 during the Simon Mayo show and our Simon, sgt Nicol, duly appeared to confirm the fact.
  I did, however, think he mised the opportunity to twist roger daltrys arm and get the who in to headline friday night at cropedy as payback ::)
it was on between 1 30- 1.50 pm if you can listen to it on replay, it may even be on todays "daily mayo" podcast

But will Mayo & Kermode be broadcasting live from Cropredy on the Friday, as they have oft wished to, in public?

Tickets on sale now - seems as though the first 12 rows on the arena are gone already.

Just booked my ticket, how exciting, were are all going to London.  ;D  I do hope the ladies of this parish will wear their tiarrarara's  {:-) for this prestigious event !

Thanks for posting this.Booked "loggia" seats.Anyone know what it means please ?   ???

I believe the Loggia at the RAH is the lower level boxes

Thanks.Hopefully they will be decent seats.

Phew! - that was close. Just back from the Barnet Folk Club (Shambolica are highly recommended if you come across them) and decided to log in and found this. We are away for the weekend with a very early start so wouldn't have known until late Sunday. Tickets for a family outing duly ordered for somewhere in the stalls - the lady wife doesn't do heights so we are quite low down.

As it is Seth and Kate as well does this mean I don't have to go to Folk by the Oak or Cropredy?  ;)

By the way - it looks a lot cheaper if you get them from the RAH rather than one of the agencies, but that might be just because it is late.

From Iconic Music:

FOLK GIG OF THE YEAR - 25 MARCH 2009

As many of you will know, here at Iconic we're long-time supporters of Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), the national charity which supports young cancer sufferers and their families. Iconic has been involved in fundraising for TCT for nearly ten years - the 'Heart of England' compilation albums, cheque handovers at Cropredy, raffles, wristbands and bandannas, and co-ordinating donations from media guests at Cropredy.

Throughout this time, our friends on the folk and acoustic scene have supported the charity with us. In particular, Fairport Convention has been outstandingly generous.

So it is a real pleasure to bring you news of the latest fundraising collaboration between the folk world and TCT.

Every year, Teenage Cancer Trust stages a week-long series of concerts in London's Royal Albert Hall. The series was the brainchild of TCT Patron Roger Daltrey CBE and he remains curator of the annual event. Roger works tirelessly each year to secure great line-ups which in the past have included The Who, Oasis, Coldplay, Page and Plant, Clapton, Stereophonics, Franz Ferdinand, Jools Holland, Tom Jones, and Kaiser Chiefs.

This year, TCT's concert series features its first-ever Folk Night. And who more appropriate to top the bill than FAIRPORT CONVENTION. The British folkrock legends will headline a fundraising gig for TCT at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 25 March 2009. And it's not just another Fairport gig - the concert also features award-winning stars SETH LAKEMAN, ELIZA CARTHY, and KATE RUSBY.

With a stellar line-up like that, this will be the folk gig of the year and the audience is guaranteed a night to remember. What's more, there are ticket prices to suit all pockets - and all offer great value for money. Remember that every ticket sold will generate funds to further TCT's aim of ensuring that every young person with cancer gets access to the best possible care and support.

Tickets are on sale NOW from the following outlets:
Teenage Cancer Trust (http://www.teenagecancertrust.org)   0871 231 0836
The Royal Albert Hall (http://www.royalalberthall.com)   0845 401 5030
Gigs and Tours (http://www.gigsandtours.com)  
Q The Music (http://www.qthemusic.com)    
Absolute (http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/tickets)  

For more information visit:
https://www.teenagecancertrust.org
http://www.fairportconvention.com

TCT concerts for 2009 are:
* Tuesday 24 March 2009: Antony and the Johnsons with Florence and the Machine and V V Brown
* Wednesday 25 March 2009: Fairport Convention with Seth Lakeman
* Thursday 26 March 2009: Stereophonics plus special guests
* Friday 27 March 2009: Kasabian plus special guests
* Saturday 28 March 2009: Bullet for My Valentine with The Blackout and Fightstar
* Sunday 29 March 2009: An evening of comedy hosted by Mathew Horne and James Corden


HELP SPREAD THE WORD FOR TCT
If you run a folk or music related email list or newsletter, please feel free to circulate this news. If you don't run a list, please forward this newsletter to like-minded friends. Fairport and TCT are hoping for a full house on 25 March so young cancer sufferers gain the maximum benefit from the gig. It's a big ask so anything you can do to spread the word will be very gratefully appreciated. Thank you.

Roger Daltrey was on the Andrew Marr show this morning (not sure if it's on I-Player but  it was BBC1 at 9.00 am- his interview was towards the end of the show); as well as talking about the Who's music and his relationship with Pete Townsend, he made a passioned and rather inspired case for the charity.

Such a shame it's on a Wednesday in term time...bloody work!!

Wish I could be there.

I know what you mean! And I don't live a million miles away, either, but it's just not possible.  :(
Hope those of you who can go have a great time and it raises loads of money.

For the contingent from Wales, it's a helluva commute.

V. doubtful we'll be there.

Bloody Welsh. >:(

We have ordered tickets.  Although we are in NE London, it will still be a late night for us!!  We will all be v. tired the next day as I can't see us getting home much before 1.00 am.  I'm guessing it will finish around 10.30 - 11 ish??  By the way, has anyone received their tickets yet?

Looking forward to it enormously - it will be the first time my partner Gary has seen Fairport!!

Picaddilly Line from Knightsbridge - turn right out of the RAH front door, about 10 minutes walk, will land you somewhere close to where you want to be, quite quickly.

 Anybody who hasn't been able to get tickets, or can't quite afford them, might fancy trying this competition:

     http://www.mojo4music.com/blog/2009/03/win_fairport_convention_tct_ti.html

Wahey...got my ticket today ! Should be a great evening, haven't seen Eliza Carthy or Kate Rusby for a few years now. Really looking forward to it !

You haven't bought all of them have you, Chris?

I shall be in a box  {:-)

Interview with Roger on how he got the artists.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7951056.stm

Paul

Any idea on how ticket sales are going for this ? (i.e. how full will the RAH be on the night - got mine already)

Right - I'm off to meet the family and then head for South Kensington. Reports in due course and hope anyone else going has a good time.

Just got in...a sublime evening of music !!! Eliza Carthy was as entertaining as ever, Kate Rusby (with strings) very polished, Seth Lakeman moved the earth, and Fairport provided a rousing finale. Reg Meuross also played a couple of songs (heard of but never heard him before, would like to hear him again). The evening was expertly compered by Mike Harding, with FC introduced by Simon Mayo (he told the yarn of how FC got the gig in the first place). Highlights of FC's set included Summer in December, Lord Marlborough, WKWTTG featuring Kellie While, a rocking Dirty Linen attached to Matty Groves, and MOTL featuring Kellie and Seth. All in all, a great evening - apart from the excellent music it certainly increased my awareness of what the Teenage Cancer Trust is all about. By the way, The Albert Hall is still a very special place to watch live music, must go there again soon - FC's 45th Anniversary Tour in 2012 ?

MOTL featuring Kellie and Seth

WOW!!!  That must have been amazing!!

I wonder if it was recorded for a future release...hope so!

It was certainly being filmed, not sure who by.

We had front row seats  ;D   (sorry Chris looks like that's where all the front seats went - to guests/comps)
 the photographers were a bit of a pain until they were asked to crouch down

It was Eliza's first gig since the birth and she was lovely. And Kate had her strings from OFF, she was lovely too.
Seth was good but sweaty, and Fairport were just themselves and a great lively set. (but sorry, I didn't like the new song called 'Festival Bell' I thought it was very cringeworthy  :-[- others may have different opinions  :))

Didn't get to bed till 1.30 and we only live 40 miles from London.

Hi

There are a few piccies here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/9064926@N04/3386517785/

I'll post others properly later, must rush...

Martin

I have a few poor quality phonecam pics from last night, apologies they are not better but they might give those unable to attend, a little flavour of the day.

Pic 1, shows our own Nigel Reavill with TCT's Nigel Reavell
Pic 2 Eliza with daughter Florence who was experiencing her first gig, (may as well start at the top)

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good here innit!

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What a lovely picture of Eliza and Flo, thanks for that  :)

Don't you just love digital desks

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Ric & Gerry having a jam

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Simon rehearsing WKWTTG with Kelly

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Simon & Peggy rehearsing MOTL with Seth

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Simon x 2

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they were doing "festival bell" on the wintour, i cant remember how it went

Kate Rusby was brilliant.Never seen her before but will definitely be seeing her again.What a lovely voice,it had me welling up two songs in.
I'm not familiar with Eliza Carthy's work though i saw her as support for Joan Baez a few years ago.I knew nothing whatsoever about Seth Lakeman but enjoyed it all the same.
Can somebody post the sets of those two please ?
The other bloke who sang two songs was very good as well...................

Reg Meuross http://www.regmeuross.com/

Sadly, almost ignored - but name-checked by Peggy, right at the end.

I thought I recognised him...I've seen him with Hank Wangford...

Well said Dan O.  Sublime indeed.   The RAH certainly is a wonderful venue, we actually ventured up into the 'heights' during one of the changeover intervals,  just to have a walk around the top.  I've always wanted to see the view from up there, and on previous occassions  there has never been enough time, but with several acts performing, the intervals were opportune.  Amazing sight!....but acoustically  a bit 'blurry'  from certain areas.  Unfortunately we then we got collared by a member of the house security, and as we weren't equipped with the correct apparel (a wristband evidently) we were asked, very politely, to go back downstairs.  Fairport produced a very well balanced set, for so few songs, excellent none the less.........short but sweet, I guess you could say.
Thanks for the pics Martin, a small insight into the backstage world that we don't usually get to see.  Also met up with Angela and the boys......so all in all, a very pleasant evening of music and song.

how full was the RAH?

Ah; good question!

Arena: 95% full
Stalls: 80-90% full
Loggia Boxes: 75%
Main Boxes: 25-30% if that
Circle: ?? 50 to 100 people total?? Maybe more?
Choir: 0 - of course

Quite ready for other's views...

Any pictures?

John

At a guess......a little over three quarters full, most of the good seats were taken, the larger gaps were up on the higher tiers.

There was approximately 1800 in attendance. In a perfect world there would have been more but considering the short notice, I think everyone was delighted with the turn out.
Hopefully a folk night can become a permanent fixture of the TCT annual series of concerts. If it does, I'm sure folkies throughout the land would happily support this most worth while cause.

Oh dear - The RAH is an 5,544 seater (according to wiki, at least)?  Anyway, at least it FELT fuller than it was from what others have written....

The balcony was sparcely populated David but as you said it was fairly full in the lower levels, which made for a great atmosphere I thought, very enjoyable.

I think that's probably maximum capacity - with the 'usual' being 3900. Still only about 50% - but I imagine considerably better than any of the individual acts could have managed on their own.

That said; I seem to recall the last Waterson Carthy gig was pretty well attended.

It would be interesting to know the Fairport/Rusby/Lakeman/Carthy/Meuross fan split. How many were there really for only one set? How many didn't go, because of the other acts?

John

I wouldn't have gone if i'd realised Fairport would do such a short set but i'm pleased i did as i got to see the marvellous Kate Rusby.Seth Lakeman seemed to be the most popular act of the evening.

I would be hard, and pretty pointless, to pick out the best of the evening. It was the quality and variety that impressed.

Fairports were, as others have said, on great form - Chris Leslie's vocals in particular, and Ric's fiddle playing. Gerry's drumming was wonderful as always, picked out nicely on the big screen. Kellie While did an excellent walk-on rendition of "Who Knows.." - a highlight for me.

Seth was... well, he was Seth - full-on, enjoying himself, noisy and leaving the kind of imprint that could well draw significant numbers of younger people to the folk scene, if the show gets decent broadcast on TV. Good on yer, Seth, we need it.

Kate was delightful, sang beautifully and joked engagingly (Rough quote: I spotted the 'Hard Hats From This Point' notice as I approached the stage and chose to ignore it - "it's the rebel in me" - and I see you're not wearing them either so I reckon I'm OK.").  Her 10 piece string section was nicely back in the sound mix so there was no risk of her vocals being drowned. A lovely set.

Reg Meuross only had time for a couple of numbers but impressed many people, I think (my wife, in particular!).

And Eliza Carthy's set was tremendous - her first performance since the birth of Flo. She opened the show, and it was a good choice - Mr Magnifico live is rousing stuff. She also premiered a song, Mohair, she wrote after the death of her aunt, Lal Waterson, a decade ago. Just beautiful - as was much of her highly entertaining and musically challenging set. She's a fantastic amabassador for the way that folk music can be relevant for some exciting and contemporary music.

I'll post a few photos later, once taken off the camera.

Martin

Could somebody please post the other songs performed by Eliza Carthy and all of Seth Lakeman's ? Thankyou.

I can believe that. My wife was very taken with him at Trowbridge Festival.

Actualy I like him too. He's very talented singer songwriter. And when he's with Hank they are hilarious.

I didn't know much of Eliza's set but she did Mr Magnifico and Britain is a car park - new song in style of 3 Daft monkeys!

Kate:
Drowned Lovers
Who will sing me lullabies
Let me be
Stretched upon your grave
Sir Eglamore
Underneath the Stars

Seth:
Hurlers
King & Country
Solomon Browne
Poor Man's Heaven
Kitty Jay
Born to be King (? Handwriting very iffy)

Fairport:
Ye mariners All
Festival Bell
Summer in December
Reynardine
Lord Marlborough
WKWTTG (with Kelly While)
Matty & Medley
MotL (with Kelly & Seth)

Great evening all round.

Thanks Tim

I'll try and remember Eliza's set. Not necessarily in that order.

Little Big Man
Two Tears
Hug You Like a Mountain
Mohair
Mr Magnifico
britain is a car park

I can't remember any more, is that about half an hour's worth?

Some photos as promised.


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A review of the Albert Hall gig appeared in todays evening standard....here it is here

It was proof of the power of radio. A desperate Roger Daltrey, spokesperson for the Teenage Cancer Trust, announced on Radio 5 Live that the mid-week slot of the charity gig‑fest was empty. So sandwiched between Antony and the Johnsons and Stereophonics the Albert Hall would be dark.

DJ Simon Mayo challenged his listeners to come up with a band who might be free. And faster than you could say real ale, Fairport Convention were contenders. The archetypal folk-rock band headlined the show, which was a night of folk with strong supporting musicians, all of whom played for free.

Eliza Carthy, taking the stage after feeding her baby in her first gig as a mother, played a fabulous comeback set fizzing with energy and high spirits. With a husky black velvet voice she cast a vocal spell and mixed it with her fiddle and cranky Tom Waits-style band. Her last song, a witty satire on car-crazy Britain, had the energy of an encore.

Kate Rusby reworked some songs from her first album Hourglass with sweet effect, backed by a 10-piece string ensemble. And Seth Lakeman delivered his punchy tight acoustic rocking folk with usual verve.

Fairport themselves revelled in being in the Albert Hall and two glories of their past, Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, were celebrated in a stirring rendition of Who Knows Where the Time Goes? with guest vocalist Kellie While and a fine encore of the Thompson-penned Meet on the Ledge, Lakeman joining them in a liberated chorus of song. It was emotional, free and committed folk.

Great review - I like the Tom Waits connection - very apt, I'd say.  Anyhow, a few more piccies:


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...and a few more:


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You must be getting bored now so this is the last for now, just for me...

This is me with Beth Porter and Eliza (Beth is cellist on some tour dates; she also plays with Jane Taylor, a lovely singer from Bath):


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Thanks all for posting all your reviews and phots - beat me to it, we were feeling a tad secondhand this afternoon.

Thing is, it was my birthday yesterday so we pushed the boat out a bit. We met up with old friends Dave and Sheila in the Dove (Hammersmith) - my God haven't been in that place for over thirty years. It's still ace, look for it in the Boat Race coverage. After we'd crashed out in the Premier Inn we were up for more snackeroonies and actually boarded a bus and asked the driver how far down Chiswick High Road Carlucchio's restaurant was! In the end Dave's ineffable nose for cheapish food did its stuff and we hopped off at the right stop.

We crawled out of the restaurant after antipasto, lasagne and San Gimignano white and realised we'd better get a taxi as we'd never be able to climb onto another bus. Arrived early at Kensington Village Hall and found we'd got quite nice seats over to one side. Can't top other people's reviews so won't try. Only one embarrassing incident - Dave and I were retracing our steps from the bog when he remarked "Oh there's Peggy in the bar". So I did my binoculars round the eyes trick, wafted back a few feet and unfortunately Mr Pegg stared straight back at me. So we had to have a couple of Old Speckled Hens to recover before Fairport's set which was as everybody has said, excellent. After the gig we bussed/Disrict Lined it back to Ravenscourt Park and had a few more Speckled Hens in the hotel bar.

One thing - the big screen in the RAH made it possible to compare facial expressions - our party rated Seth Lakeman first by a mile, followed by Ric S, Gerry C and Simon N.

Off now to detox - getting too old for this lark  ;D ;D 

Really enjoyed most of the Albert Hall gig last night. But I had a slight problem with the sheer loudness of it all... Especially during Seth Lakeman and Fairport. I don't know whether this was because they were the last two acts and my ears and brain were giving out or whether it genuinely got louder... I haven't been to the Albert Hall before: could it have been connected with where I was sitting - on the first row back from the stalls straight in front of the stage? Any reassurance that I'm not just getting old, gratefully received  :(

Thanks,that looks about right ! Did i hear Marianne Faithfull's name at the start of one of them ?

Sorry ... you're just getting older ...  ;) ;) ;D



I wasn't there :'(
so you can safely take what I say with the proverbial grain of salt.  :)

Re the sound, we all thought Fairport's was OK but we definitely reckoned  there was something up during Seth's set, taking into account that LOUD is the way he does it anyway.

It sounded like the PA was being overdriven - the acoustic guitarist was decidedly mushy and the bass end of the spectrum ran the gamut from boomy to gross distortion. Power amp by Mr Sugar's Amstrad possibly?  ;D

Mind you the PA looked nearly as big as Cropredy's and the RAH acoustic is weird anyway in spite of the fibreglass spheres. God only knows what Kasabian and the Stereophonics sounded/will sound like. Probably like the Space Shuttle taking off?  

Yes, I think it's Two Tears.

So does anybody know Guy from Oxford? (the man who texted Simon Mayo)

Not very much to add to the comments above. We had a good time and thought that everyone concerned should be pleased with the whole thing. Some while (many years) since I had been to the Albert Hall and had forgotten how cavernous it is, and maps were required to find the bars etc. Loved the announcements for the stewards to open the doors but not to let any customers in.

We were to the side but far enough back to make it easy to see everything (Stalls H 4 31-34 for reference). The big screen was helpful but occasionally I found myself watching that rather than the whole experience. Rather liked the contrast between the Victorian architecture and the industrial sound and lighting rigs.

Agree that the sound went off during the evening, and wondered if this is just an effect of gear being shunted around and everyone being a bit rushed. I also thought that the charity aspect managed to keep on the side of being informative without being overly nagging, and the film was quite moving, especially the comment from the young man with the tumour the size of a house brick. Audible gasp and everyone remembered what the evening was about.

I some ways I think the highlight was probably Seth and his merry crew. It definitely seemed a case of "hey, we've got 30 minutes let's go for it". Cries of "we love you, Seth" and group dancing breaking out added to the atmosphere. Also liked the string ensemble that backed Kate Rusby which made her set different to the one on the tour last year. And welcome back Eliza!

The only real grumble was that it over ran a bit - and I knew it would. This meant that the encore of MotL was performed to a dwindling crowd as folks headed for trains etc. However, the chaps (and the others) all seemed genuinely pleased to be there. That apart it was great to see Fairport on such a stage performing songs old and new, a bit bigger than the one at the Union Chapel, and will be one of those events I will long treasure.

We got home after midnight and all we had to do was sit on the Piccadilly Line for a while so I can sympathize with those who had to make a run for it earlier. We also managed to spot friends across the hall and travelled home with them which added to the all round fun of the evening.

Will be interested to see if turns up on TV at some point.

 :)

We really enjoyed it too, but I agree with the comments re. sound quality.  We put it down to the fact that we were sitting almost on the side of the stage - in the stalls to the extreme right as you looked at the stage.  In fact, we were so close to the sound desk that I could read Fairport's set list!  We had to crook our necks to look at the big screen and my son was fascinated by Seth's facial expressions - apparently he had very animated eyebrows!!

The lady steward on the door nearest to our seats was also enamoured of Seth - "That last guy was amazing!".

Also agree about the comments above re. the charity - that film was really moving, and the young girl Lucy and her family were sitting just in front of us.  We heard her say that she was going on stage every night this week.  I would be interested to know what her parents made of Bullet for my Valentine and Kasabian etc.!

 
 It's a great effort by Daltrey to do so much  :) : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7967919.stm

Elfin, ain't she? Plays with more bands than you can poke a stick at, I am informed. Somebody said the smaller stages at Glastonbury are organised entirely round Beth Porter's availability.

Nice pics chaps.

Martin pardon my ignorance, but what's your connection with FC?  Was that you in the Queen's Arms with Simon and Peggy before the gig?

Ooooh where's the Queen's Arms? I never know where to go before the Albert Hall.

It's a secret!  ;D


Oh, OK then
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/65/6520/Queens_Arms/South_Kensington

View from the Circle great, sound great, bar at our level sparsely populated so easy to get refills! Wonderful evening, thanks to all. Shame about overrun, had to miss MOTL in order to catch train.

Hi AngieH, yes it was, you should have come over and said hello  ???

Wednesday night at the RAH was a moving experience for me and my boys and one that we shall remember for a very long time.

It was marvelous to see Eliza back performing again, and as for Kate Rusby, well, I’ve changed my mind about her, she was brilliant and her performance was greatly enhanced by the fantastic string ensemble. Reg Meuross was lovely and I shall make sure I look out for him again. Seth was…well how can just one person with a violin make such an awfully loud noise! And Fairport, they were just wonderful, sounding superb and very slick.
 
For me, the evening was made so much more special by the TCT report shown at halftime which reduced me to tears.  It bought home the reason why these splendid musicians were performing and why we were there. They highlighted the frightening fact that every day 6 teenagers in the UK are diagnosed with cancer and some of the stories told by the young teenagers in the film were very moving indeed.

For me this was even more poignant as five years ago my niece died of cancer aged just 19. She was a wonderful, beautiful girl who helped me look after my boys when I went back to college and she was their favorite cousin.  Like one of the youngsters in the film, she was nursed in a main ward, with elderly patients and had no contact with anyone else near her own age and sadly she spent her last days in a side room of a hospice where she had no contact with anyone other than us and the staff.

I very much hope that the TCT manage to reach their target that by the year 2012 all teenagers with cancer will be treated in a specialist support unit dedicated to the care of teenagers.
A huge great big thank you from me and my boys to all the people involved in such a memorable evening.

I so wish I could have gone, but work, school, Manchester,etc made it impossible. But it's been great to read your reviews and experiences and see some pics I just hope that it will be on the tv sometime. Does anyone know which station was filming?

Thanks Martin, but I'd be far too embarrassed to do that, although I did say 'Good Evening' to Peggy as I squeezed past him.

I would imagine that the last thing the chaps want while they're having a quiet pint before a gig is to have to make small talk with someone they don't know.

Or is it just me?

I agree Angie.
Last year before the Haddenham gig we bumped into Simon and Peggy ( ::))  in the pub next door, and we just said 'hi' and left them to it.

Seriously, they love their family of fans and welcome a friendly chat. Don't be frit of offering a pint either! ;D

Ha, it must be getting on for 30 years since I was last in the Dove - used to be our Friday afternoon standby in the days when office workers still went to the pub at lunchtime.  Ah, memories ...

We discovered it last year, while staying at the very same Premier Inn, down there for the Levellers gig at the RAH.
Lovely pub.  ;D