TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

On FB:  David Swarbrick would like announce that I have to decided to retire at the end of 2013. Nov 5th bonfire night 2013 will be the first day of the retired swarb.

Just saw that myself!

Blimey - you gave me a fright when I saw the heading - I'm going to see him tomorrow night with Martin Carthy at Liverpool Phil. I thought it might have been off!

Well, OK...that gives us another two years.  No need to panic.  Yet.

Jules

It is a shame but at 72 he will certainly be entitled and we should get one final Fairport reunion out of him next year. Cropredy 2012 could be a bit special.

Oh blimey that's sad news!!

That will be, in the words of Robert Wyatt, the end of an ear.

A friend of mine saw him at Fareham last week, and said he looked quite poorly, and was walking with a stick.

I am sure he won't stop completely, but it might be sensible if he did pace himself a bit.

Paul

In that case we will make the next two years last :P

In all seriousness, it is indeed sad news, but he has has given us a lifetime of great music, despite all the health problems he's had, I think he deserves it :)

I think he wouldn't say 'retire' if he didn't mean that - he's not exactly on the road month after month now?....

I wonder what the bidding will get to for holding his last gig?....and I wonder where it might be?

Thanks for all the music, Swarb - it's a total delight every time, including at the Union Chapel.....you could start by delegating the merch, young man!

Birmingham Town Hall on a Saturday  I hope... not London...

Well said

Dare I say it, but I think that's too small for a final farewell. Symphony Hall it ought to be!

That's probably the venue I meant really!!

I wonder why that particular date?

He wants to go out with a bang.

Quick! Book him again at FarnsAc!!

I know for others it will be longer, but November 2013 will be 30 years plus a couple of months since I first started listening to Swarb via L&L.
August 1983, aged 18, I moved into a flat in Stockbridge, Edinburgh and one of my flatmates was nuts on Fairport and the Rolling Stones, he never really played anything else.

One of the things I like about seeing Swarb live is his humour, he's a hoot.

That and the spider stories.

He's hilarious!  If he's been a bad fiddle player, he could have made it as a stand-up.

Haven't heard any spider stories though....

Jules

Me neither.  Feeling deprived now!

My thoughts exactly!  :)

AAARRgghhh :o
still we're lucky to have the old rascal with us and he's a lucky lad to still be here
So a long and happy retirement to you Mr S

When he lived in Australia, he used to check his shoes/slippers for spiders etc. before putting them on........when he moved back here, he didn't, and, er......... ;) [I think that's right]

Maybe it would be an  idea to have a book that Talkawhilers could write messages, reminiscences etc to be given to Swarb on his retirement ?

Perhaps it could be compiled at Cropredy 2013 and put somewhere that people could access it over the weekend ( near the bar ?  ;))

best of luck to Mr S I'm suprised he didn't go earlier....Enjoy

Apparently they are all on the web!

Great fellow, great musician, great entertainer and a great life lived. Thanks for all the great music and gigs.
 
That news makes me feel so much older myself. Wonder if the Daily Telegraph are reporting it?

Now where is that nomination form for the Queen's Honours List?

As Swarb has already publicly stated (after RT's award) he would  (hoorah!) turn down such an honour, probably best not to waste your time  ;)

One of my musical heroes - thanks Swarb

And a long and happy retirement to you.

It can't really be considered an early retirement, what with it being 14 years after his death.

This is true .... are we absolutely sure that it is Swarb who has posted this???

I have seen him play on countless occasion truly a one off talent who's influence will continue

Dee.P

He was in good form last night at Liverpool Phil (including a spider story). Really enjoyable show with Martin Carthy.

That's good to hear!

(Hopefully the memory of the gig will cheer you up after the derby tomorrow, Peter!  ;) )

And I'd also like to thank Swarb for all the music he's written, played & sung.  Definitely one of my musical "heroes".

Excellent!   ;D

Jules

I think Swarb would've corrected it by now if it had been hacked. He is a member here too, so could have posted something by now

Don't know where else to post this so---thanks, Mr. Swarbrick. You have brightened everyone's lives who ever heard you play. Good on ya, sir!

Agreed. And in fact we not only got a spider story, but a full rundown of the various ways you can be killed by Australia's indigenous wildlife! Cheery old bugger, ain't he?

Anyway, this is what he's said on Facebook:

It would be nice to play the fiddle in the garden, rest my saddle sore arse and give jill a sqeeze when she least expects it.!

Can't argue with that, can you?

Strangely enough, I don't think I need any cheering up! I'm in an extremely good mood.  ;)

I wonder why...!  :)

Up to the dodgy red card, it looked like being one of the better derbies. Sorry to drift off topic, but referees really should be consistent.

Hope the weather's better for the next gig at the Civic Hall, mate...

Cheers

The real reason Swarb is retiring...

http://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/sport/ashton_united_1_4_lancaster_city_1_3932261

Lol!  Superb...

I keep getting 'This webpage is not responding'...

so do I.  Perhaps we are too far south for it to reach ;D

Try this one instead -

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/lancastercity/news/result-ashton-united-1--4-la-419898.html

There's a Dave Swarbrick playing for Lancaster City FC.  :)

Ah that explains it then..   ;D

Ah...so he joins the ranks with Iain Matthews as Fairporters who have played/playing professional then  ;)

As Swarb lives in Coventry perhaps he might consider signing for the Sky Blues?

Even at 70 having had a double lung transplant I'm sure our Dave Swarbrick would be an improvement on the lot we have got there currently.  ;)

BTW, Swarb recently posted on FB that he has reconsidered retirement and resolved to work harder, instead.

a year or two ago that news would have been all over talkawhile but now, it seems FB, is the only game in town(and i didnt mean fat billy)

You'd have thought he'd have waited until everyone had bought tickets to his farewell tour before announcing that!   ;)

Jules

more comebacks than the big F

Great news about yer man if he is to carry on right enough, but I can't get on with facebook. There is nothing about it I like.

Except maybe catching up with a few people I haven't seen for a long time, that was good, but otherwise.....

I've just looked at the announcement on Swarb's FB page. The comment about the bread and butter pudding is priceless!  ;D ;D

I read the comment and thought Swarb was being a mischievous scamp, and it was a comment on something which had been on the news that day about pensions and people retiring.

You may well be right. I wasn't sure whether to take it seriously.

What hacks me off about Facebook is that artists put pages up that are private & inaccessable without a Fb logon - what's the point of that? Surely you want as many as possible to read.....

Ditto.

Jules

Honestly, I think he's always being a scamp.  His drive-by comments on Facebook are priceless.  Let's just say I hope I have more opportunities to see him perform, and I also hope he remains happy and healthy for a long long time regardless.

Oh yes, I'd say that was fair!

You FBers can feel free to pass on any other jewels from him any time you like.

Jules

You're right. Message Boards may have had their day. Information is disseminated so much quicker via social media now - for better or worse. MBs are starting to feel like an old fashioned notice board in the school corridor.

without wishing to tread on any toes here(and wouldn't that be painful!) if you havnt got a Fb page, why not? its not like you have to give them any information or money, and , as here, you can get as involved or uninvolved as you like

I do Twitter.  Ain't got time for both.

Jules

hmmm off topic but it's more dodgy and less innocent than that....if you add 'friends' then their friends can read all you say if you comment. Can and has caused problems with staff at school. You are right Jim only give out as much info as you want anyone else to read! Maybe this is a new thread?

Depends on the account security settings. Perfectly possible to make sure only the people who you want to see things actually see them. There's also nothing to stop you signing up with a false name or having more than one account.

Definitely a new thread please.

Neil

I've just set up a new topic about the new mandatory timeline feature that will let all and sundry see your profile if you don't edit it within 7 days.