TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Just noticed this on the RGM site:

Fairport Convention last update: September 18, 2009
SEPTEMBER 2010
24 FR Sebastopol CA Sebastopol Celtic Festival TBC
25 SA Sebastopol CA Sebastopol Celtic Festival TBC
26 SU Sebastopol CA Sebastopol Celtic Festival TBC

OCTOBER 2010
15 FR Philadelphia PA Tin Angel TBC
16 SA Pawling NY Towne Crier
17 SU Northampton MA Iron Horse
22 FR New Jersey City/Venue TBA
23 SA Sellersville PA Sellersville Theater
24 SU Alexandria VA Birchmere

Next fall. I'm sure more will be added in the coming months.

Excellent!!
Err ... what's the RGM site?

Bob, that's their US booking agents site.

http://www.rgmbooking.com/

Ah, thank you - very useful to know.  :)

Praying for Cleveland!  ;D  My sons and I would love to see them again!

And a new custom title is born.

Surely that's "Rock on Cleveland!!"?

"Hello Cleveland!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C21yssFhCsk

It's listed as Fairport Convention Acoustic Trio (Simon, Chris and Ric).

 ;D  Cleveland could use all the prayers it can get, for a multitude of reasons!

As long as it's folk-oriented rock. :)

It's listed as Fairport Convention Acoustic Trio (Simon, Chris and Ric).

I'll take my Fairport anyway I can get it on U.S. soil.

Me too, looks like its the loooong trek down to Iron Horse for us...hopefully a Boston/Cambridge show will be added---only 4 hour's drive rather than 6!
Perhaps we can bribe them with the promise of a Lobster Feast (and some tasty vegetarian fare) if they come up to Maine again. ;D

Aaaarrgh! No Southern California gigs?

Well, Sebastopol would be a good excuse to see my cousin...

Take a look at the main site (http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php). i would be astonished if a Berkeley date wasn't added.

Now, I don't know this for sure.........but I think there could be some folks out there in Berkley that might have an issue about being considered Southern Californians!   ;)

ah but ...."Seems it never rain in Southern California
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before
It never rains in California
But girl, don't they warn ya
It pours man it pours." ;)

It's supposed to start raining here any time now....doesn't often rain this early. Ayup.

 [;-)

Hope all the boys can make it to Cali...north, south or indifferent.

I can't believe there is no date in the Boston area! They have played in the past Rhode island and fall river also!Very short tour!
Mark

Hello Peter...

Lincolnshire is a bit awkward to fit in with a tour of the colonies.

There are no dates in large parts of the US, Krinoid, many of which the band have played in before.  I'm not quite sure what this proves, mind.....

Plenty of open days between Northampton and Jersey, Krinoid.  I bet you'll get some additional nearby gigs, before its said and done.  :)

Where are you seeing 2010 US tour dates?

Deja Vu alert....go to the first page, Bob...I think you asked the question there too  ;)

Oops ... never mind  :-[

I think it proves they are sensible enough to only play were they will get a decent turn out that will support the costs of the tour, surprisingly even in folk friendly Oregon they have had abysmal turn outs even though RT can fill the Aladdin two nights in a row. Is this as it appears to be, a full band tour?

I'm not too keen at the thought of driving all the way to the Birchmere this year, but you're right.  The last time they dipped further south was delightful for me........but pretty slim for them.

Even Dayton and Cincinnati aren't as strong as they used to be.

I'll certainly catch them this time.  Its been too long - 2004, I think!

so I just received a note from a venue where I had tickets to see them in October and it said the entire US tour was cancelled. Nor are they listed anymore with the booking site. Has anyone else hear anything about this?

There's a note on the RGM news page saying the US tour has been canceled. DAMMIT!!

Anyone know why?

Shite.

Anne de Bretagne in Europe in November?
http://www.fairportconvention.com/gigs.php

I would guess that the costs were too high for the tour.Fairport is no longer on their roster.
This really sucks!Glad I got to see them once cause I'm pretty sure that will never happen again.

I feel sorry for all our American cousins - we are lucky in that the UK is relatively small so we have plenty of opportunity to see the band, several times a year if we so wish, without having to travel too far.

DC

Explanation here...

Sign of the times, sad.

http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php#news1

Frankly, I was astonished that they were even considering doing it. Still ... bummer.  :(

Wow, this is a little more disapointing seeing that this was to be a full band tour which I don't recall having occured since maybe 2004, possibly earlier. Glad I have seen them several times in past decades. Don't think I will be in the mood to hear of the incomes of the banking industry or Wall Street or oil executives today, or any other day for that matter, so far beyond absurd as to be truly an object of contempt.

Sounds like we may have seen the last of them over here. Can't say as I blame them...as a working musician myself, it is getting harder and harder to make a living. And I live here!

Well, I'll have to save my pop bottles and try to get over to Cropredy one day. Thanks for all the memories, guys!

I don't know what the festival set up is in the States but that could be an option for the future - play half a dozen folk festivals and add a couple of headlibe gigs as well - hope you guys get the chance to see FC over the pond again soon.

DW

That's a good point. All 11 of Bellowhead managed to do several Canadian folk festivals last year.

Right.  Remember when they were opening for Tull in the mid 80s?  I guess it helped that Peggy was pulling duty with both bands.

No substitute for the small clubs.  The opportunity of actually drinking and trading jokes with the band is an indispensable part of the Fairport experience, IMO.

AIUI, Canada is much less expensive.

But better than not seeing them at all.

Another possibility might be something Altan did a few years ago (and may still be doing, for all I know)...a tour subsidized by non-profit art/music organizations. They played quite large venues, filled with people who had never heard of them...but were attracted by the excellent marketing.

A band with Fairport's history and musical ability...seems like it might be worth at least looking into.

I have no idea about tour costs, but generally the US is cheaper for fuel, food, accommodation etc.  The Oysterband have toured across Canada 3 times in the last 3 years..when they get hear on April 16th I'll ask how they manage it!

I think Fairport should consider the Canadian folk festival circuit in the summer, (although of course it may clash with Cropredy dates), as it would give the North American fans a chance to see them. I don't know what it's like now, but on my one visit to Canada in the early 80's, I was pleasantly surprised  to see how big and popular the folk festival circuit there was. The festivals are generally very diverse, with a strong emphasis on traditional Celtic and French music, but also blues, jazz, gospel, etc. Some of the festivals are really big, (e.g. Winnipeg) and attract visitors from all over Canada and the USA. Reminded me of the Cambridge folk festival but on a much grander scale. I also remember some smaller festivals which were just as much fun and just as diverse musically- I spent a great weekend at a folk festival in a small Ontario town called Sudbury. Great, interesting music and very friendly, hospitable people. Fairport would go down really well over there.

I'm not sure it is, as such. With the vast distances you can end up travelling in America between gigs, you either end up being in a van for days or have to fly. FC wanted to tour as the full electric band with the kit that entails and just couldn't make it financially viable, according to their website.

I think also you have to face the facts - Fairport really don't have the popularity density in the USA to make a tour viable. Frankly they struggle in parts of the UK - and they tour here what, 2-3 times a year to maintain their audiences and even that doesn't always work out as well as you might hope. EG Pontardawe was significantly down on audience numbers this year as opposed to 2 years ago.

For most bands, the days of it being viable to fly over to the US for one or two gigs are long gone (if they ever existed).

Here's wishing the lads could team up with someone remotely similar (Chieftains?) and split some of the costs.

If I win Powerball tomorrow, I'll underwrite a bloody U.S. tour myself.

I meant that costs in the US are probably lower than Canada...UK bands are able to perform a few headlining dates over here on the back of festival bookings (as Bellowhead did last year), but the Oysterband aside, few UK folk bands are willing to undertake coast to coast club tours.  Furthermore, club tours are risky ventures not only for the bands but also the folk or other clubs promoting such concerts where a poorly attended show for a "name" act can wipe out the club's finances.

That is very true, though I barely listen to the radio I can think of only 2 instances where I have heard FC on the radio over here in the past 24 years, one was a beautifully recorded program of the Maart era band at a Chicago folk club called Holsteins, long dead, in 86, on a program called folkstage, which is aired after midnight on the original Chicago FM station, a classical one that does folk, the program they were on which still exists extend into the 1950's. The other was at a Chicago suburb just to the north called Evanston, a great old long dead very esoteric club called Amazing Grace, a show from 75 that i saw firsthand. Generally, possibly untrue, the further west or south you go in the US the less aware people become of Fairport, though last I knew they could still fill a club in Chicago, I like to think my fervent wishes helped get them booked twice in roughly the last ten years at my local Chicago joint where the Fitzgerald family is old friends, but I am way less than certain of that. And frankly the generation that did hear them a tiny bit on the more esoteric radio outlets of decades ago, have either begun to die off, or are amazed to hear of their continued existence, after years of raising a family for instance. I do very occasionally get big thumbs up when I am wearing one of my Fairport t shirts, from people who could not have been old enough to remember the earlier incarnations in real time, so maybe there is hope. I would love to see them as the permanent opening act for Tull, but I'm not sure that sounds like loads of fun to the Fairports, not sure. 

'75 Amazing Grace, 2 sets - I have that one! ;D

I don't know why the mid west was such a (relatively) strong hub for the band, but I have seen a lot of shows in Ohio over the years.

It seemed they were doing okay in the mid 80s.  The Red & Gold tour was particularly well attended - certainly on par with RT's Amnesia and R&S outings.  I guess it was somewhat due to the excitement of the "official" reforming and the Hannibal reissues at the time.

Ah, well.....  

I'm just catching up with this news. Obviously terribly sad to hear on this end. I'll 2nd what someone said earlier: I'll pay for another tour personally if I win powerball. I told my bride that the lads won't be coming here here this fall as previously  mentioned. Her response: "When are we going over there to see them?" Good question.

"Further on down the road..." as EC said...

Bless them for wanting to bring the full band, and not wanting to compromise on that.  My homies and I would've been utterly psyched to see Fairport here (if, indeed, their path would've wound through the Pacific NW)....  And it's sad to imagine the band's disappointment, as well.

Sigh.....guess we're just going to have to make a Cropredy sometime...?  This year, geographically converse but otherwise similar considerations to the Fairports' may not allow the possibility this year.

Thanks alot for trying, guys.  Maybe it'll align yet in the not-too-distant future.

Being lucky enough to live in NYC, I havent had to worry about Fairport not coming to my part of America, so I am lucky. I was sad when I read the news, but I will just say guys, thanks for trying, and thanks for giving us fans a lengthy explanation personally! You dont get that from many bands!

Yippeeeeee they are coming to Sellersville, Pa. in October!!!

I will be there!!!!!!

Must send for good seats!!!!!

Welcome back, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it's all canceled:

http://www.fairportconvention.com/general_news.php?p=2

I was all ready to go see them at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va. I told Tomcat that they would be there Oct. 24 just before he walked out the door for the evening. I hate to break the bad news to him when he gets in. He's probably making plans in his head right now. It would have been an eight hour drive for us but worth it. I guess we will have to save our money and come back to Cropredy   {:-)   [;-).  Maybe I'll win the lottery and help with their tour .

Bobcat