TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

Haven't noticed a thread about this year's Wintour, so starting one.

Reports are filtering through on Faceache about the first show in Westcliff On Sea. Apparently Simon has Covid again, poor fellow, so the show went ahead without him. Was anyone there ?

Wishing Mr Nicol a swift return to health and to the tour...

Oh no.... :(

Must be a chance of the rest of them catching it!

We saw the rehearsal pic only a few days ago...

Yes I was there and I thought the first few songs felt lacking somewhat as Peggy admitted to forgetting the words Simon normally sings. The second half was really good and so much more 'together'
Without Simon though the songs and music was 'Chris' centered. DM made it rock. Other than 2 songs it was a pretty good set list. (That DIY song is dire, IMO of course  ;)
This year luckily the drums didn't drown out all the other instruments!
The support act PlumHall were pleasant, she had a beautiful voice on Who knows....

Simon has posted on Facebook saying that he is now clear of COVID and hopes to perform after missing the first 2 gigs.

All were present in Harpenden last night and the venue was full. I wish Chris played his fiddle more.

Don't we all, don't we all - being as talented as he is on it, and in the Fairport context, it's a crime against humanity that he doesn't...

Exactly my thought the other night. Chris and Ric used to duet some fab tunes. He was superb on guitar and mando but the fiddle was not even amongst his many instruments sadly.

An excellent evening in Liverpool, Saturday at the Tung Auditorium, a new venue for me. Bit of a trek to get there, but a lovely place. Great set list for me, enjoyed every tune/song. A prog rock/heavy metal/psychedelic version of Sloth blew me away......as did Polly.....all in all a cracking night, they were all on form and once again reminded me why I love this band so much!! Love 'em to bits!! Roll on Croppers yay!!

Seconding what Bernie said. The Tung is a lovely venue. Excellent acoustics and the band were great.

Not a venue I've heard of. I see it's mostly jazz and classical they put on there but Kathryn Tickell is doing an afternoon gig on the 28th of April.

https://thetungauditorium.com/events

Fab venue - I saw the Unthanks there in December.  It's very similar in feel to the RNCM in Manchester where Fairport are off to today I think.

Just seen the lads at RNCM in Manchester and agree what a good venue. As for the band, that is the best I have seen them in years. Very good spread of material including a lovely Hiring Fair. DM gives them real heft (think that’s the word!) and he seems to have renewed their confidence. All on good form so a great evening.

Aside from what he adds musically, and also his band intros ("these are the finest musicians in their price range"), DM also adds a bit of validity to the b(r)and given that he's been there since 1969, on and off. Maybe that shouldn't matter - I'm going seeing a band next week with no original members - but when this line-up plays a track from Full House, the majority of the current band were on that album. As Simon said last night, Swarb and Richard couldn't be here tonight for vastly different reasons.

As you said, a good spread of material and at least one track I've never heard them do live before.

Interesting announcement last night was that DM will be touring with RT later this year.

The UK tour?

It was Peggy who announced it, just stating that he will be touring with Richard later this year. I'm assuming UK.

Can anyone else substantiate this? Did I mishear??

That’s right. Hoping to go to Factory International to see them

Interesting...and unexpected.  Decades since he's played with him (Cropredy apart, of course) isn't it?

Yes, maybe Mock Tudor tour?

Yes, I can confirm that: the UK tour was explicitly mentioned by Peggy at Liverpool.

Sounds like DM needs to move back to the UK promptly and we can all get on with our lives  ;) ;D

The Mock Tudor tour in 1999 was the first time I saw RT play with drummer Michael Jerome, who's been behind the traps for RT ever since, with the exception of one tour (captured on the Live In Providence DVD, Rory MacFarlane on bass too) where he was subbed by Earl Harvin. Both superb, although Michael has the slight edge for me.
Very interesting to hear that DM's going to be playing with him again.

 A very enjoyable gig in Oxford last night. First time I've seen the band anywhere other than Cropredy - or to put it another way: First time I've seen the band at less than 100 metres distance - in at least fifteen years. The instrumental virtuosity they display is still astonishing. Highlights for me were Sloth and The hiring fair, but thoroughly enjoyable all round  8)

Great gig in Swansea yesterday. Plumhall were very good. I'd like to see more of them.

The only low point was on Sir William Gower (which I can't remember seeing them play live before) Simon forgot the words to one of the verses. Normally the attitude would be 'Ok, no problem, it happens, move on..' .but he appeared to be quite distraught and sat down with a pained expression on his face before the band stopped playing and they started another song. Strange, but it didn't spoil the concert.

I suppose it's a kind of badge of honour being able to remember the lyrics to all the songs you're going to sing but really, there shouldn't be any shame about having a music stand with lyric sheets especially for songs they don't perform regularly. Hope Simon's okay.  

In the warm and affectionate way in which this comment is intended, but....Simon has been forgetting words to songs (many of which are very bloody wordy) for 40 years.  I wonder why he was upset...he normally shrugs it off completely.  I can't remember the words of most of my favourite songs until I'm singing along to them...must be a bloody nightmare having to do the leading.  

He got all the words right last night in Exeter. In fact, I do remember that there was a period when he seemed to regularly forget some words, but it seems to me that it is quite some time - ie probably 10 years or more - since I have seen him doing that.  However he did seem to be taking opportunities to sit down and rest at points during the set, so I wondered whether he is not fully over the Covid yet?  He also tripped over an amp on the way offstage during Ric's 'jokes' (and who amongst us wouldn't like the opportunity to do that at that point in the set - walk off, that is, not trip over!).  Debs assured me on FB that he is OK, just a bit bruised, and it was just the low lighting that caused it.

But the concert was excellent. DM's presence definitely gives some oomph to the performance, and it was good to hear a couple of songs I have rarely if ever heard performed in the almost 40 years I've been watching them - Sir William Gower and Hawkwood's Army.

Are Simon and Ric both giving socialising a miss after gigs on this tour , which is understandable on health grounds , as they did last year ?

I only saw Peggy outside in Exeter - he was selling and signing things on the merch table before the gig. I didn't hang around afterwards to see if anyone else came out, I'm afraid, but I suspect they aren't doing that.

I can answer my own question , as per last year , Peggy and DM were freely available after the show last night at Lincoln , no Ric or Simon

I used my time with the Dave's , to ask if they had heard how Jerry was doing , but both said , that not for the want of trying , they had had no response to their own enquiries , nothing via Jerry's daughter.
I did emphasise that my expectations were only low level , just to know he was stable , maybe improving even with the very basic life skills we all take for granted everyday
But they seem to be as in the dark, as we are , and for some length of time

Lincoln last week was another solid performance , the sets flowed well , I know some people had issues with the sound and lights , but you can't overlook the musicianship on display , which remains impeccable

I didn't notice any missed words , but I enjoyed Simon's move towards more electric playing

I could live without the howling on Sloth , I'd rather they dropped into a verse/chorus of another song , like U2 used to do on Bad

If you are in 2 minds over attending any of the remaining dates , don't hesitate if only to see DM back in the fold once more , well worth the relatively low admission price

I wish I'd made the effort tbh.  There is a decent recording of East Grinstead doing the rounds, complete except for the start of Walk Awhile due to a technical issue.  I flicked through an awful lot less of the material than I have done on recordings of other tours in the last 14 years since I stopped watching them multiple times every year.  The combination of DM, and Simon playing a lot more electric, definitely makes them seem much more like a folk-rock band again...

Could have sworn I saw somewhere that Peggy had Covid, they'd done a show with just the 4 of them last night, and now there was more illness in the band so dates were cancelled, but damned if I can find it anywhere now...

Must have imagined it...ignore me.

Fairport were excellent in Harrogate, last Friday. The set-list was amazingly far-reaching. I reckon the played songs from thirteen different albums, with some genuine surprises thrown in for good measure.. They had some proper fire in their bellies too. The best I've seen them perform in a while.

There was lots of love for Plumhall too, which given it was practically a hometown show for them, is to be expected, but they put in their usual strong performance and deservedly had quite the queue at their merch stall at the interval.

I thought Polly On The Shore suited the current line up really nicely

I wouldn't mind them having a go at Iron Lion sometime , love Jerry's playing on that, might have been a fun thing to do with PlumHall with Simon on the electric

Excellent gig at the packed out Union Chapel. The only slightly worrying thing to me was that both Simon and Peggy were really imploring people to come to Cropredy, sighting many other festivals that have folded and the huge increase in costs. To my mind, it was a lot more than the usual “come to Cropredy” talk. Pure speculation, but maybe ticket sales are down on where they need to be at this stage. Nonetheless, a great night and setlist (Sir William Gower all present and correct!)

Perhaps a more inspiring lineup would lead to higher ticket sales.

Hi Bill, re Cropredy , I think the core of hardcore Cropredy goers is shrinking…..Tempis Fugit , ie the people who would go anyway regardless of lineup. I did that continuously for over 20 yrs , with a group of 18 friends, it was a ritual, a pilgrimage with its own fables and rites……..
A pendulum may have swung to where people are considering the lineup and other festival lineups before committing. I now fall into that group. Of course people go in large groups , sometimes family groups, meet up and have a bloody good time , others go specifically for the bands.
Not sure if the Fringe Fest at Brasenose is having an effect, now ticketed with a very strong lineup imho.
It will be interesting to see how the village / parking copes with , effectively 2 fests.
There are some very strong fest line ups about this yr and money gets tighter so at the risk of stating the obvious….’you pays yer money , yer makes yer choice…..’
I suspect Rick Wakeman , Trevor Horn , Focus and Tony Christie aren’t going to attract a new audience,or , as you refer to, even maintain the old one..
Hope to bump into you somewhere, only ones booked so far are a music w end in the lakes , Warwick Fest and Between the Trees and Ragged Bear……
If you’re ever up and about travelling check out the ,under new management, Nuneaton Folk club, cracking line up til Aug.