Plectrum on the head trick

[Jim G]

Hi Dave

A highlight for me of many Fairport concerts in the past has been your amazing “sticking the Plectrum to the head” trick.  I have even managed to lure Fairport virgins along to concerts purely on the expectation of them witnessing this.  I noticed throughout the last winter tour and at Cropredy you have no longer been performing this wondrous feat.    Is this because your head has lost it’s stickiness or does it signify a move in a new musical direction?
 
Jim

[peggy]

Hi Jim. Great question! New musical directions at my age would be pretty miraculous I think. I don't remember there being an opportunity in the set to perform my plectrum trick. Adhesionwise, it helps if you have a bit of a sweat on. And the bald bonce is a must too.I think that I must have experienced a "God what must I look like doing this?" moment and decided to give it a rest for a bit. It started out as a way of trying to keep kids attention during the set. It's a real shame watching them fighting fatigue ,and their parents trying to keep them awake at least to the end of "Matty Groves" I remember one gig where Chris and I even got into dance routines and high kicks to keep a front row kiddies attention.   Kids make fab. audiences 'cos their facial expressions really do let you know how they feel about the music.
   I did drop the plectrum one night which makes you look even more foolish! Should I use the plec trick again? Is there enough or too much fun in the set? answers on a postcard please to Jim. Cheers, Peggy.

[Paul]

Slightly more serious question about plectrums. 

Do you prefer using a plectrum or fingers when playing the bass.

Paul

[Cocker Freeman]

The plectrum trick takes years for a musician to perfect. It requires maturity, a mastery of one's instrument and refined follicle devolution. Not everyone can attain this skill, Dave, and for this reason alone it should be maintained (set list permitting).

It's as iconic as Louis Armstrong's handkerchief and, er, other famous things.

[peggy]

Thanks Cocker. Encouragement at this time is encouraging.

[Cocker Freeman]

Anytime, Dave.

[Jim G]

Dave

Thank you for such a full answer to such a daft question. I think that fun has a big part to play in music and (for me at least) Fairport have the balance about right. 

So dust off your wooden legs and fine-tune 'em with some snazzy whittling, for a winter tour full of "standing on one leg competitions" and  "sideways shuffling across the stage"!

We also haven’t been treated to "who can hold the note the longest" in John Barleycorn for a while. 
Jim

[Big Dave]

That trick nearly killed Simon one time Jim, ........."you b*****d Peggy" !!!!!!! 

[Paul]

Wasn't that because Peggy used a repeat on the mixing desk, and Simon actually did hold the note.

Perhaps you can enlighten us about this one Dave.

Paul

[PaulT]

I used to enjoy the Peggy/Simon plectrum-swapping routine.  And before that, the multiple-handed multi-instrument-playing... and the "stand-up/sit-down" version of Jams O'Donnells Jigs.  But I'd love to see "Come Haste to the Wedding" (ie Royal Seleccion) on the Winter Tour - helium version or not...

 

[peggy]

Well Simon did suss that my note had been sampled and looped , but went on  for an extremely long time. Big breaths or what? I think we are way past the chairs and high kicks Jams O"Donnels jig routine , but it was great fun at the time, especially when we were "relaxed". Cheers! Peggy.