Best Fairport gig - ever

[koho (Koen)]

Cropredy 1997. Very emotional too. The song Wings still sends chills up my spine when I hear it on the Cropredy Box. So much anticipation before they came on; I was never that excited/emotional at any FC gig. I had the distinct feeling I was to see the Full House line up in this form for the very last time and cried during Now Be Thankful. Sure enough, due to his health troubles since, Swarb played, but never sang with that particular line up again so in a way I was right.
Outside Cropredy it must be, for obvious reasons, the time they played at my wedding, 8 November 2003 in ******g Grolloo (sorry - but I didn't know that then) (these stars appear automatically when you type in that word). Not only because of the event, but also because they played real well that night.
And Cropredy 1998 for social reasons. And because it's a cunning way to tell you that I have the offcial CD Woodworm released of this in 1999 on eBay right now (naughty innit, to mention this here).
 

[PaulT]

1. First FC show I saw - (Simon, Swarb, Peggy, DM) - Ainsdale beach early 70s - with Steeleye for Granada TV show
2. Cropredy 79 - SO emotional.
3. Acoustic - Swindon Arts Centre, mid-80s - intimate, hot, and band on top form (Simon, Ric, Maart & Peggy)
4. Birmingham - last night of the winter tour, when Swarb came on... & Ric played his solo in MOTL kneeling at Swarb's side. Makes me tingle just thinking about it.

[Edthefolkie]

Oh hell. Off the top of my head......

1971 - Albert Hall Nottingham. RT had just left. 1st half was Carthy & Swarbrick!

Drury Lane 1974 or summat. Sandy came on near the end. Rhythm section incredible.

Thoresby Hall 1979 (hi Puggs)

Friday Cropredys 1997 and 2002.

This year, Cropredy.

 

[James R Turner]

1) The XXXV show in Brum that year,my first live fairport experience, then, maybe the time i saw Fairport rehearsing for someof the material on over the next hill in woodworm studios maybe.....

[Mr Cat (Lewis)]

The 30th anniversary Cropredy for me, largely due to the lengthy trawl through FC's histry and Ashley's witty commentary.

As for indoor shows, either the Fairport Acoustic Convention show at Chipping Norton Theatre in 1988 (I think!) or the Oxford Apollo gig on the Jewel in the Crown tour..

[Sian]

I don't know exactly when it was but a certain Pete Standing of this board said  ... "come and see Fairport with me at High Wycombe i'm sure your like them"  I was already a great fan of Chris Leslie and it a the Wood and the Wire tour.  needless to say I loved the gig.  It was tremendous.  Cropredy followed.  

[Barry]

Too many great gigs to mention:  at the moment the ones that stick in my memory are Rising For The Moon at Drury Lane and Full House at the Half Moon.  The first because it was great gig and the last time I saw Sandy with Fairport and the second because it was a legendary line up having so much fun playing together again.  (and it was a bloody hot night, too!)

(Oh yes - and Babbacombe Lee at Cropredy 1982 was pretty good, too, as was Liege and Lief with Cathy Le Surf in 1983 )

[Jack O Diamonds]

Three come to mind...

(a) Parliament Hill Field Spring 1968.... Fairport Convention with Jefferson Airplane... rained like a good'un all day... proto-skinheads (bless 'em) tried to rough up the heads... I think Sandy was late (or maybe it was an all-male FC? Pretty sure Jude had already left.... age does not permit any more accurate a recollection).

(b) September 1968 at Royal Festival Hall... with Joni Mitchell (UK debut.... superb)

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

Loads of good gigs 1968-70... but those were special.

[davidmjs]

Three come to mind...

(a) Parliament Hill Field Spring 1968.... Fairport Convention with Jefferson Airplane... rained like a good'un all day... proto-skinheads (bless 'em) tried to rough up the heads... I think Sandy was late (or maybe it was an all-male FC? Pretty sure Jude had already left.... age does not permit any more accurate a recollection).

(b) September 1968 at Royal Festival Hall... with Joni Mitchell (UK debut.... superb)

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

Loads of good gigs 1968-70... but those were special.

Even yogic breathing exercises can't stop me hyperventilating with jealousy....  

[Jack O Diamonds]

Three come to mind...

(a) Parliament Hill Field Spring 1968.... Fairport Convention with Jefferson Airplane... rained like a good'un all day... proto-skinheads (bless 'em) tried to rough up the heads... I think Sandy was late (or maybe it was an all-male FC? Pretty sure Jude had already left.... age does not permit any more accurate a recollection).

(b) September 1968 at Royal Festival Hall... with Joni Mitchell (UK debut.... superb)

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

Loads of good gigs 1968-70... but those were special.

Even yogic breathing exercises can't stop me hyperventilating with jealousy....  

and breathe and.....

it's just a matter of being extremely old... Great gigs though... Seeing Joni's first London concert is as big a memory as the first Leonard Cohen... but Nick Drake.... superb but clearly terrified... Wish I had seen him more... and then there's The Archies... )

[Thor-Rune]

For so many reasons my favourite just HAS to be Chateau Neuf, Oslo in February 1975. I'd seen them at a festival the previous year, but this was my first FC gig proper. Sandy Denny was at her breathtaking best and Swarb was firing on all cylinders. Jerry Doanhue later told me he had a terrible flu - which was impossible to tell. And Paul Warren turned in a heroic performance in place of the recently departed Dave Mattacks.

I left the hall with stars in my eyes. Over 30 years later an unknown recording of it enabled me to put it out on CD with the full co-operation of all surviving members. Even Paul Warren sent me a wonderful mail after I'd worked my ass off trying to track him down. Peggy bumped into him at a birthday party and told him about the CD. His story would have graced the cover. But there you go.

One other great FC moment for me: The "Full house" line-up headlining friday night at Cropredy 1985. I'm still frustrated only one from it track turned up on the Cropredy Capers box set.

T-R

[Simon Nicol]

Three come to mind...

(a) Parliament Hill Field Spring 1968.... Fairport Convention with Jefferson Airplane... I think Sandy was late

She was!

(b) September 1968 at Royal Festival Hall... with Joni Mitchell (UK debut.... superb)

She was! (superb, and not late at all.)

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

And Nick would have rather been anywhere else than in the wings waiting for the off....

[Jules Gray]

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

And Nick would have rather been anywhere else than in the wings waiting for the off....

Awww, bless him.  

Jules

[Jack O Diamonds]

Three come to mind...

(a) Parliament Hill Field Spring 1968.... Fairport Convention with Jefferson Airplane... I think Sandy was late

She was!

(b) September 1968 at Royal Festival Hall... with Joni Mitchell (UK debut.... superb)

She was! (superb, and not late at all.)

(c) Fairfield Halls a year later - Autumn 1969 Liege & Lief and Nick Drake.

And Nick would have rather been anywhere else than in the wings waiting for the off....

And I hadn't even mentioned the Dagenham Roundhouse just after Rich T Bizkid had left in early 1971... You  winning hands down against Swarb and Peggy trying to push the guitar licks too fast! Well done the Bruce Welch of the Folk-Rock world!!

[BPTNT]

Broughton Castle '81... Rocked my socks off, it did. . Full House, Judy Dyble, Smiddyburn and Jerry Lee Lewis (in roughly that order)...