Winter Tour 2007 - Your reviews & comments

[davidmjs]

ONly as a Cropredy band, though....

What nonsense, Chris! They did Christmas tours, occasional dates in the rest of the year...hell they even did a couple of US tours before Gladys Leap....  Happy to provide documentary and audio evidence if you need it  

[Andy]

I'm glad to agree with the reviewer that "Meet On The Ledge" is better than "All Around My Hat".

Whether MOTL is the best folk song ever written is up for debate, however.

[Jim]

the Fairport home movie was indeed recorded on tour, long after, the 79 split and before the official reconvention in 85.
  for a band that didnt exist they were pretty busy

[Barry]

Quite so.  Just listen to Swarb's comments about that time on "It All Comes Round Again".

[jimc]

I'm sure I saw the Pegg Nicol Rowlands Swarbrick line up in the early 80s, after the "farewell" tour.

I certainly did, including one set at Sheffield Uni when they overran by 40minutes plus doing the best Fairport gig I ever went to...

[gower flower (Shirl)]

Okay, a bit late I know, but I would like to say my piece about the Chippy gig last Sunday.

It was lovely to be there at the tail end of the tour. Chippy Town Hall is not the "smartest" of venues.....following on from Brum Symphony Hall and St David's Hall, Cardiff. The tickets were more expensive too! Probably because fewer people could be accommodated.....

Anyhoo.....a very enthusiastic audience was present.... a very enthusiastic performance was presented....the TTL's "suffering" somewhat from feeling understandably tearful on the last night of their tour - and poor Danni's voice somewhat strained after the rigours of the previous six weeks.

It was an exciting and somewhat nerve-wracking evening for me personally, having been given the opportunity to present, in the company of our very own Jude, a Hancock award for Best Folk Track Ever (Matty Groves). Mercifully, I managed NOT to trip over any cables or do anything TOO silly. Phew! Chris Bates managed to capture the moment beautifully. Bless him!

The chaps were clearly enjoying themselves in an "end of term" kind of way - much laughter and lots of "mucking about" by Peggy, in particular. It seems that this tour has been one of great celebration for all concerned. Sense of Occasion? I think so. Roll on, August.

[Big Dave]

Nice post, Shirl.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[gower flower (Shirl)]

Spotted this in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph "Seven" supplement.

"Fairport Convention at the ICA are two groups in one. There is an acclaimed, honoured group called Fairport Convention who in the late 1960s helped to invent folk rock and are now celebrating their 40th anniversary. There's little sign of their existence.

There is also a group called Fairport Convention containing only one of the original members, who are some kind of home-baked tribute to the idea of a Fairport Convention that helped invent folk rock and released legendary albums.

Mostly they tend to muck around like a bunch of assiduous, cheerful blokes who act as if they are in some kind of comedy group. This Fairport Convention are not as such honouring the original pioneering Fairport, give or take the occasional sentimental rendition of an early classic, as creating a kind of dog-eared caricature. The original innovative Fairport is overwhelmed by this deteriorating, corny Fairport, who gamely keep the name alive and have a lot of fun but who should now perhaps be called Fairport Nonvention."

Harsh words.  Okay, of course things have changed - it has been 40 years for a start! I know plenty of us have views about the different Fairport eras, and fair enough, but I thought this reviewer (one Paul Morley) was pretty hard on the Chaps.

[fat Billy(Bill)]

Hard, but fairly accurate
the current band are totally different to the original set up.
thats not meant as a criticism, just an observation.
I noticed a couple of years ago when RT was in the line up at Croperdy
that the band had an edge to the sound, perhaps more electric guitar would not hurt.
times change so do band members, I love the current line up both as musicians and personalities
but time also mellows how and why we do things, the brash thrust of youth sounds different to the mellow sounds of wisdom and experience.
I am looking forward to the Liege and leaf set this august.

OOOOO I'm gonna get hammered for this

[Bridgwit (Bridget)]

Hard, but fairly accurate
the current band are totally different to the original set up.
thats not meant as a criticism, just an observation.
I noticed a couple of years ago when RT was in the line up at Croperdy
that the band had an edge to the sound, perhaps more electric guitar would not hurt.
times change so do band members, I love the current line up both as musicians and personalities
but time also mellows how and why we do things, the brash thrust of youth sounds different to the mellow sounds of wisdom and experience.
I am looking forward to the Liege and leaf set this august.

OOOOO I'm gonna get hammered for this

I agree with these sentiments fB. I love the band as they are now, but I miss Maart's guitar and keyboards (I was introduced to them in 1989 so the Maart and DM lineup was the first I knew) and, IMHO, there's far too much mando now. I like a bit of mando, but you can have too much of it. I'm looking forward to L&L as I've never seen RT live and I can't wait!

 

[Jan_]

Harsh words.  Okay, of course things have changed - it has been 40 years for a start! I know plenty of us have views about the different Fairport eras, and fair enough, but I thought this reviewer (one Paul Morley) was pretty hard on the Chaps.

I thought so too.  I cannot relate to this reporter's viewpoint at all.  Christie Moore's Scallcrows springs to mind.  

Actually, I much preferred the article about Daniel Levitin and the meaning of music.  I think it gives more of a clue as to why Fairport continues to be so popular after forty years.

[Keith]

I didn't notice Paul Morley in the crowd.

But I have to agree to a certain extent that the music now is far lighter than the Fairport of even 10 years ago, and could be seen as larking about by a real stalwart of serious music (as I know Paul Morley to be). They had a lot of fun, but it didn't really rub off on the audience - so is it an "old boys club" now?

Well, the music is certainly not cutting edge, and I'm struggling to enjoy SOO - whereas the roots that have been set down by earlier, more earthy songs seem to give more scope for improvisation and character (cf. Matty Groves). I can't see a heavy improv taking place with Edge Of The World, or Keep On Turning The Wheel  

[Nigel no longer of Lysander]

 I too have to agree on the current sound of the band and the preponderence of mandolin etc In the words of John Cleese during Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch, 'Shut that bloody bouzouki up  

Cheers Nigel

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Am I the only one that likes the mandolin in the current FC then??

[Malcolm]

I didn't notice Paul Morley in the crowd.

But I have to agree to a certain extent that the music now is far lighter than the Fairport of even 10 years ago, and could be seen as larking about by a real stalwart of serious music (as I know Paul Morley to be). They had a lot of fun, but it didn't really rub off on the audience - so is it an "old boys club" now?

I haven't been inside the ICA for some years when I had business dealings with them. The ambience of the place then was very highbrow. Sounds a funny place for FC to perform. Reminds me of a mid 80's concert they did at the Barbican. Peggy said "Funny place - hope you've enjoyed yourselves'.

Difficult to get gigs in London, I suppose.

[davidmjs]

Am I the only one that likes the mandolin in the current FC then??

No...but it's a question of balance.  It's (and certainly on record) a too one-dimensional 'light' sound at present...I've always thought of Fairport as having all sorts of textures to them and a lot of those textures have been missing for a while....although the latest tour appears to have been a good step in the right direction on the live front.  I'd love to see them mix it up in the studio and get out of the safety zone they currently operate in there...

[davidmjs]

I haven't been inside the ICA for some years when I had business dealings with them. The ambience of the place then was very highbrow. Sounds a funny place for FC to perform. Reminds me of a mid 80's concert they did at the Barbican. Peggy said "Funny place - hope you've enjoyed yourselves'.

Difficult to get gigs in London, I suppose.

Personally (and this doesn't just go for London) I wish they'd play 'rock' venues...and especially after the smoking ban comes in....places like the Astoria or even smaller venues like the Borderline or whatever...

[Big Dave]

Am I the only one that likes the mandolin in the current FC then??

No  

[Chris]

I like it too, especially that bass model!

[mikec]

I like the mando (s) in the current line-up. Shame Peggy doesn't play it more with FC, after all he's been doing it for a while now.

But, I'm with Davidmjs about the balance. Well put David, ta.