WinTour 2009 Reports and Photos

[Steve with the black dog]

My sister, aged 48, went to see FC at Hall for Cornwall  She took her teenage sons and said it was 'great'.  (not a detailed review)

The significance of mentioning her age is that when in 1976 I bought Fairport Live Convention she and her friends took the pi*s, and went back to their Billy Joel or whatever.  Now all these years later she finally swallowed her pride and can't stop saying how she enjoyed it.  This should really be a TUT

Thank you Fairport for vindicating my years of support with a 'great' performance.

[GubGub (Al)]

A great set from the lads tonight and in the spirit of contributing to the "three bears" debate about the volume, in Worthing it was neither too loud nor too quiet. It was just right. I just wish Simon would not choose quite such a bright tinny sound when he plays electric. Ken Nicol played some electric on MOTL and used a much fuller crunchier effect which I preferred.

It was the rockiest (is there such a word?) set I have heard from the band in many a year and all the better for it. Everybody was in good humour and the venue was reasonably full for once. Bit of a cock up on the opening to  I think but otherwise it was musically fine.

Bought the CDs. Bought the programme. Wasn't struck in this year's T Shirt though so I gave it a miss, probably for only the 2nd or 3rd time in 20 years!

[Steve with the black dog]

 I just wish Simon would not choose quite such a bright tinny sound when he plays electric.

I've noticed this before - it is incredibly thin and piercing - I reckon it must be his amplification. His P/ups are old fender and shouldn't sound like that.  Am I right and thinking he D.I.s straight into the PA?  He needs a decent valve amp in between in my view.  Maybe I have this wrong.??

[Dan O.]

When Simon plays electric, his usual amp of choice is a tiny 10 watt Park practise amp mic'ed up through the P.A.,...(Park were a budget/practise line sold by Marshall in the early 90s), with his half-Fender Strat (Fender neck, Dick Knight body). A man's choice of equipment is his own affair and, by the way, IMHO, he always sounds great ! Really looking forward to Union Chapel Islington on Saturday night.

[martin driver]

Anne, I was sitting in the rear stalls close to the sound desk and have to reiterate, it sounded good to me. Proof if proof is needed I suppose, you can't please all the people all the time.

[Jules Gray]

Bit of a cock up on the opening to  I think but otherwise it was musically fine.

Ooh, you jammy beggar getting that one, Gub!

Jules

[Poor Will (Bill)]

A great set from the lads tonight and in the spirit of contributing to the "three bears" debate about the volume, in Worthing it was neither too loud nor too quiet. It was just right. I just wish Simon would not choose quite such a bright tinny sound when he plays electric. Ken Nicol played some electric on MOTL and used a much fuller crunchier effect which I preferred.

It was the rockiest (is there such a word?) set I have heard from the band in many a year and all the better for it. Everybody was in good humour and the venue was reasonably full for once. Bit of a cock up on the opening to  I think but otherwise it was musically fine.

Bought the CDs. Bought the programme. Wasn't struck in this year's T Shirt though so I gave it a miss, probably for only the 2nd or 3rd time in 20 years!

Really enjoyed it too. There were times when the Worthing audience were whipped into a near frenzy of politeness

Biggest surprise for me was

[tullist/raymond]

Black, with the large FC logo in white across the top, and drawings in blue of various instruments on the font.  List of tour dates on the back.  Rather tasteful!

You're not suggesting some of them have been a bit garish, are you?
 

To my thinking ANY t shirt with tour dates on the back is by definition garish, as well as hideously expensive. I understand this includes most major market t shirts and am baffled by why otherwise intelligent people consider that necessary, re Tull, Fairport and everyone else . O wow, you were in Rochester on the 23 May, let me wear that on my back and share it with the world. It is ok to leave the back nekkid. And certainly an aspect of the enoromous market of the Grateful Dead parking lot where the art of t shirt design was brought to dizzying levels, well over 100 different varieties separate from the standard issue ones in the venue, and in the parking lot not the first one with tour dates on the back. Occasionally they became collectible too, I was once offered 200 dollars for a t shirt I had bought outside the Dead's show in Cedar Rapids Ia, on 7/4/84 for 5 dollars, (that's Jul for non Americans), this occured about 10 years later at Soldier Field in Chicago. I did not sell it because it was freaking cold that day, probably I had a jacket or something else, but I knew how cold it got in that particular stadium, adjoining the Lake. This little gem had the iconic skull, and where the lightning bolt would normally be was Felix the Cat with an eye dropper squeezing a drop into a bucket marked Hell, (Hell in a Bucket), with a crude little dark star also in the circle, cute and to the point. And btw the next tie dye I wear will be my first, though I did have a friend who would make over 1000 dollars a night selling tye dyed anything, including diapers and I recall a wedding dress. 

[Geoffrey]

back to the Anvil at Basingstoke on Wednesday night,I couldn't fault the sound quality except to say it was a bit loud at times, leading to a lack of distinction between some of the instruments, but the overall enjoyment wasn't spoiled.

I am a Steeleye fan most of all, and so with Ken Nicol being part of the show was like a double-bill for me.
Had a quick word with Ken at the interval , too. Nice chap !

I thought it was great when FC joined Ken and Phil for one of Ken's own songs.

Not having sen FC since 1978, I have to say they have improved IMHO.
Tipplers Tales tour, at Loughborough Uni , I believe.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, the humour, the material, the singing, the deft playing.
Chris Leslie was especially impressive.
9 out of 10..........no, 9and a half!!

[GubGub (Al)]

There were times when the Worthing audience were whipped into a near frenzy of politeness

Post of the week...but you had to be there!  

[Anne T]

Anne, I was sitting in the rear stalls close to the sound desk and have to reiterate, it sounded good to me. Proof if proof is needed I suppose, you can't please all the people all the time.

Actually, sitting near the sound desk is a canny move - I'll aim for that next time! Hopefully the sound man will be getting it just right for where he is standing. Quite a few people from the area we were sitting moved further back, so it wasn't just me!

[Jan_]

The Union Chapel, Islington.

The streets were freezing, the chapel was chilly but the music was red hot!

The evening began with a serious speech from Simon which may, or may not, have been prompted by the sight of this beautiful building: the domed ceiling, the ornate (but not too ornate) decoration, the tea lights around the balcony and the befitting circular window behind the boys depicting eight angels, each playing a different musical instrument.  There was one we couldn't work out but it did look like a melodeon  Anyway ... it's nice to know that we are appreciated too so thank you.



A rather lovely performance of MOTL with the addition of Ken, Phil and Edmund.  And so we were back to the eight angels ... only they were in a row this time.

Thanks boys – once again you pushed all the right buttons and the music hit the spot.

(Too many clichés? Good job I don't write songs! )

[Tim Fletcher]

The Union Chapel, Islington.

The streets were freezing, the chapel was chilly but the music was red hot!

The evening began with a serious speech from Simon which may, or may not, have been prompted by the sight of this beautiful building: the domed ceiling, the ornate (but not too ornate) decoration, the tea lights around the balcony and the befitting circular window behind the boys depicting eight angels, each playing a different musical instrument.  There was one we couldn't work out but it did look like a melodeon  Anyway ... it's nice to know that we are appreciated too so thank you.

A rather lovely performance of MOTL with the addition of Ken, Phil and Edmund.  And so we were back to the eight angels ... only they were in a row this time.

Thanks boys – once again you pushed all the right buttons and the music hit the spot.

(Too many clichés? Good job I don't write songs! )

Thank you - what more can I add! We had a lovely evening with friends and the atmosphere was really nice. I thought they were on top form. If any of my photos have come out I'll post them, but I suspect they are a bit blurry! Currently listening to the Cropredy 08 CD - though disappointed to find that my free peice of souvenir mud (as promised by the lady on the stall) was missing!  For those of you yet to see them you have a treat in store.

[Dan O.]

Agree with both reports above...can only add that Nicol & Cool are the best Winter Tour warmup the band have had in years. Great gig, great venue, FC are on top form and really enjoying themselves. If you haven't got your tickets for the rest of the tour then go. Thoroughly recommended !

[Tim Fletcher]

As anticipated photos were a bit blurry, or likely to spoil surprises, so here are some harmless ones showing the stage at the Union Chapel.

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[Tim Fletcher]

Looking across the stage:

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[Tim Fletcher]

And from the other side:


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[Tim Fletcher]

And finally a couple of action shots - in which Mr Sanders models this year's T-shirt:

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[Tim Fletcher]

And Ric & Chris get in some fiddling action:


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[Jan_]

Thanks for the photos, Tim.  The stage was a bit cramped, wasn't it?  Ric nearly got hit in the face at one point when someone unexpectedly shot out an arm!