Acoustic Spring Tour 2010

[billy]

Thanks

[Lubiloo (Lorna)]

On superb form at Hereford tonight, wonderful repartee and a good range of music from across the years. I won't go into too much detail, don't want to spoil it for those who are going soon.

 

[Will S]

It's sounding good.  I'm looking forward to seeing them at Nettlebed on Monday.  Will anyone else be there (from here, I mean - I think the venue s sold out!)?

[Tim Fletcher]

I'm going to the 100 Club and also Sevenoaks tomorrow night where i have to pick my ticket up from the box office.Do these shows start at eight o'clock , anyone please ?

100 Club ticket says doors open 7.30. The website says:

Time: 7:30pm-12midnight.
FAIRPORT CONVENTION ACOUSTIC
The acoustic version of the "Greatest Folk-Rock Band in the World" features the complete line-up but with drum maestro Gerry Conway on percussion rather than the full kit. Expect old and new favourites in this exclusive London performance. No support: first set at 8.30pm.
 

[SymonC]

Back from a wonderful evening's entertainment at Sevenoaks.

Quite amusing when Simon forgot some of the lyrics to Crazy Man Michael!


Also if anyone wants to know the set list send me a PM!

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Bognor tonight. We'll be taking Claire's Dad along. If he takes to them the same way he did Show of Hands, they should have a new fan by the end of the evening.
I've followed Fairport since the early 70s and this will be the first time they've appeared within walking distance.

Martin of these pages thinks they have played Bognor before, but I've lived here since 1979 and I've not known them appear here within that time.
Can any of you statisticians confirm?

Anyone else going tonight?

[Jan_]

Whilst Fairport Acoustic is not strictly speaking acoustic, there is quite a different feel to the normal fare.  It is more relaxed, more intimate and moves at a gentler pace.  The chaps chat like they were at home entertaining friends and their music reveals a little bit of the other side of their personalities. I think they must vary the chatter from evening to evening because they seemed genuinely amused by some of each other's jokes.
  
Even though there was less of a sense of a performance last night, the musicianship was second to none.  My own favourites were Spring Song and Frozen Man but in truth there was nothing that did not thrill (well, Rocky Road maybe, but that's my problem not theirs ).  Spring Song will always have a special place in my heart as its release coincided with a time in my life when I had just emerged from a dark place and it expresses exactly how I felt at that time.  The Frozen Man is one of my all-time favourites and he went through some deep anguish last night, I can tell you!
 
I did miss Simon's big guitar: he played the little one throughout and the big one was nowhere to be seen.  I hope it's not poorly again

It was lovely to see JJ and her husband again and to spend the interval chatting to them.  

It was also very fitting that Meet On The Ledge was dedicated to John Smedley (see FC site for an explanation).

[Paul]

Martin of these pages thinks they have played Bognor before, but I've lived here since 1979 and I've not known them appear here within that time.
Can any of you statisticians confirm?

Anyone else going tonight?

Yes, we have seen them at Bognor. Reckon it was at that theatre on the seafront. I have sung there myself a couple of times, and also saw the Albion band do a Christmas show where we all had free pints of HSB.

Must have been about 20 years ago. The friends we went with discovered that their dentist was also Peggy's dentist.

Paul

[giottoscircle (Robert)]

Martin of these pages thinks they have played Bognor before, but I've lived here since 1979 and I've not known them appear here within that time.
Can any of you statisticians confirm?

Anyone else going tonight?

Yes, we have seen them at Bognor. Reckon it was at that theatre on the seafront. I have sung there myself a couple of times, and also saw the Albion band do a Christmas show where we all had free pints of HSB.

Must have been about 20 years ago. The friends we went with discovered that their dentist was also Peggy's dentist.

Paul

I have a distant (and indistinct) memory that they played Bognor on the Farewell Farewell Tour.

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Terrific gig at Bognor last night. The theatre was just about full, with a very appreciative audience.
The sound was great apart from a problem with Ric's violin during one song when we couldn't hear him at all (it was, he informed us, the best he'd ever played!!)
Claire's dad thouroughly enjoyed it, and it made his day when Peggy gave him a mention from the stage (thanks to Martin for the introduction to Peggy in the interval).

I won't give too many clues away about the set list, but it was nice to hear my favourite Chris Leslie song again after a long break.

As to the question of whether they had played Bognor before, Peggy couldn't remember, but Simon is pretty sure they did (although as others suggest, he thinks it was probably well over 20 years ago)
Given the success of last night, I hope they won't wait so long before coming again!
Ric also informed us that they will be playing the Chichester Festival Theatre during the 2011 Winter Tour (Feb 8th). That should be a good one as it's an excellent venue. Something to look forward to.

[GubGub (Al)]

Ric also informed us that they will be playing the Chichester Festival Theatre during the 2011 Winter Tour (Feb 8th). That should be a good one as it's an excellent venue. Something to look forward to.

I wonder if that will replace Worthing?

[Poor Will (Bill)]

Ric also informed us that they will be playing the Chichester Festival Theatre during the 2011 Winter Tour (Feb 8th). That should be a good one as it's an excellent venue. Something to look forward to.

I wonder if that will replace Worthing?

That was my thought too. This year they played both Worthing and Portsmouth, so I wonder whether they have chosen a larger venue between the two so that they only need to play one show in this area.

[Will S]

A good concert last night at Nettlebed too.  It was good to hear a couple of new songs (well one new song, one new tune set).  Simon had a bit of trouble with the words to Crazy Man Michael and also in another song when he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out!  I haven't seen him playing that small guitar before, but he used it all the way through.  The whole band seemed pretty relaxed and happy.  

It was quite a contrast to the last time I saw them (not their attitude - but the setting!), which was at the Barbican last July.  Nothing could better that experience, but this was good too, showing another side of the band.

[Jan_]

Simon had a bit of trouble with the words to Crazy Man Michael and also in another song when he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out!  I haven't seen him playing that small guitar before, but he used it all the way through.

I think it was often used in the eighties ...

Three Drunken Maidens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rERAgBMDNQ&playnext_from=TL&videos=vTf2bwxniL8

Summer Before the War
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXobmVCVoSM&playnext_from=TL&videos=Y-mGeculVDA

The Rosehip                                                                                            
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfBpjp-kD1g&playnext_from=TL&videos=Wsmmoc0m5b0

After Sevenoaks I had a look through some old programmes to see if I could find out anything about it and came upon this from Simon himself (hope you don't mind this full-scale quoting of your words, Simon).

Winter Tour 1995

Not possible to write about favourite guitars without bringing Rob Armstrong in here somewhere.  I've known him so long now I can't remember meeting him for the first time, and all that time he has been building interesting and original stringed instruments.  If he's ever built two to the same pattern then it's either by mistake or as a commission; he just carries on creating and experimenting.  He's built nearly 600 now but I'm going to tell you about number two hundred and twenty-nine.

Every time you drop into his workshop at Coventry there'll be something new to try, and for a long period about twelve years ago there was always a strange little baroque style steel-strung made of walnut that I would play for the majority of time he was doing the job that I'd brought him before reluctantly putting it back on the rack.  One day, overcome by an excess of bonhomie, [more likely Marston’s Pedigree...Ed] he made me a present of it!

Although it has a tiny body, once you get used to holding it, it has extraordinary fullness of tone and power of projection. I used it a lot in the duo with Swarb and even when really spanked it never “choked up”.

Nowadays I keep it as a high-strung, which is to say it has the same strings on it as would be the “extra” set on a 12-string and when used as a double-track of a regular instrument gives you a highly controllable and clear sounding effect. (There's a little trade secret for you budding folk-rockers out there!)

[steve-n]

Simon had a bit of trouble with the words to Crazy Man Michael and also in another song when he opened his mouth to sing and nothing came out!  

Apparently the same thing happened with Red & Gold at Ivybridge .....situation saved by punter with song on mobile phone.

No such problems at Worcester last night, though.  Thoroughly entertaining evening and as Will S has said the chaps seemed really relaxed and happy......have never heard so many dedications at a FAC gig.
Danny Jack and WKWTTG remain in the memory (at the moment) and the fiddle break in Already There was, as usual, brilliant.

S&J

[billy]

Same set at the 100 club last night as Sevenoaks last week except for no Walk Awhile , possibly due to the late start and what seemed like an extra long interval - not much fun waiting around in a sweaty basement.Good show though..................

[Jan_]

I think Walk Awhile might have been a request/dedication at Sevenoaks - John Wood's family (?) who were present - not sure though.

[johnnysaint (John)]

I think Walk Awhile might have been a request/dedication at Sevenoaks - John Wood's family (?) who were present - not sure though.

Walk Awhile played at Bury too

Cheers
johnnysaint

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

... and at Rainworth  

[Jan_]

Thanks.  Talking out of my you-know-what again!