Fairport Chatter

[StephenB]

My most treasured signing is my original 1979 Farewell Farewell newssheet-style programme, slightly battered at this stage after many years blu-tacked to student walls. Signed by SM and DP at the 40th in 2019, and also by Chris, who was also on the bill but slightly lower down...

[John From Austin]

My several Peggy autographs are all signed "Dave Pegg."

I have boasted before about my Fairport hat, autographed by pretty much everyone between 2007 and 2017 (including some now gone). It's a treasured possession and certainly not available for sale!

It's got: Iain Matthews, Judy Dyble, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol, Swarb, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Jerry Donahue, Ric Sanders, Maart, Chris Leslie, Gerry Conway, Christine Collister, and George Galt (who contributed harmonica to MOTL in 2012).

That was a bold move letting a couple of interlopers into that illustrious company  Any chance of a photo or two?

Here is the famous hat from all sides. Picture 1 you can see Iain Matthews, Jerry Donahue, Ric Sanders, Swarb (upside down) and Maart. Picture 2 you can see Ashley, Christine Collister (barely legible) and George Galt. Picture 3 is dominated by Peggy, with Judy Dyble above and a faint DM. Picture 4 has Chris Leslie, Richard Thompson, Just "Simon" (in blue ink), and Gerry Conway. I collected these autographs at the festivals in 2007, 2012, and 2017, and some of the warm-up shows, and we ran down Richard Thompson and Christine Collister at the Duck on the Pond with the Festival Tours group. The two most meticulous signers were Iain and Jerry, who have quite lovely signatures. The sweetest was of course Jude. Swarb was the most enthusiastic, pointing out everyone's signatures.

[davidmjs]

My several Peggy autographs are all signed "Dave Pegg."

I have boasted before about my Fairport hat, autographed by pretty much everyone between 2007 and 2017 (including some now gone). It's a treasured possession and certainly not available for sale!

It's got: Iain Matthews, Judy Dyble, Richard Thompson, Ashley Hutchings, Simon Nicol, Swarb, Dave Mattacks, Dave Pegg, Jerry Donahue, Ric Sanders, Maart, Chris Leslie, Gerry Conway, Christine Collister, and George Galt (who contributed harmonica to MOTL in 2012).

That was a bold move letting a couple of interlopers into that illustrious company  Any chance of a photo or two?

Here is the famous hat from all sides. Picture 1 you can see Iain Matthews, Jerry Donahue, Ric Sanders, Swarb (upside down) and Maart. Picture 2 you can see Ashley, Christine Collister (barely legible) and George Galt. Picture 3 is dominated by Peggy, with Judy Dyble above and a faint DM. Picture 4 has Chris Leslie, Richard Thompson, Just "Simon" (in blue ink), and Gerry Conway. I collected these autographs at the festivals in 2007, 2012, and 2017, and some of the warm-up shows, and we ran down Richard Thompson and Christine Collister at the Duck on the Pond with the Festival Tours group. The two most meticulous signers were Iain and Jerry, who have quite lovely signatures. The sweetest was of course Jude. Swarb was the most enthusiastic, pointing out everyone's signatures.

A fine thing!

[Dan O.]

Facebook Memories has just reminded me that last night, in 2009 (14 years ago !), the 100 Club in Oxford Street hosted the launch party for the marvellous and much-missed Judy Dyble's rather splendid album "Talking With Strangers".

The before and after gatherings were held round the corner in The Blue Posts pub, Newman Street, which my ex-partner & I were looking after at the time. It was great to meet the musicians (including Simon Nicol and David Hughes)and the fans who'd travelled to be a part of this event, and there was a lot of love both in the pub and in the 100 Club that night.

An entertaining and emotional evening - a warm and friendly gathering...

[davidmjs]

I've got a rather excellent recording of Fairport at Cropredy in '82 doing Babbacombe Lee. The recording states the lineup  as Nicol/Pegg/Swarb/DM/Bruce

My question is this:  did both drummers really play?

[Jules Gray]

I've got a rather excellent recording of Fairport at Cropredy in '82 doing Babbacombe Lee. The recording states the lineup  as Nicol/Pegg/Swarb/DM/Bruce

My question is this:  did both drummers really play?

DM on keyboards, maybe?

Jules

[davidmjs]

For those not on FB...this from Ric.  Interesting sounding new band (for the Lindisfarne fans)...

Ric writes...
Pedals!
When I started to play violin, at the age of 16 or 17, from the word go I played electric. My first violin was a cheap German student model which I scraped all the varnish off & replaced with clear varnish, put a Selmer contact mic pickup on with rubber bands, & stuffed full of cotton wool to dampen feedback, which I love, but you need to be able to control it! Also from the word go I started to use effects pedals.
My first was a little Vox fuzz box - wonderful racket! My favourite pedals over the years have been echo units, starting with a WEM Copycat. These first units used tape loops. In Soft Machine I had 3 echo units - an H&H Multi Echo with a Roland Space Echo on top, both tape based, & on top of that the first affordable solid state echo, a Carlsbro Mantis. All of the above I sold to help buy other units, & I so wish I hadn’t sold any of them now. They’re all worth a lot of money these days - classic vintage stuff. If I ever win the lottery I’m going to buy them all again. This is unlikely, as I don’t do the lottery!
For years my pedalboards were custom made by my old pal (Chris) Myring Wiring, who also made boards for, amongst others, Swarb, Richard, & Dan Ar Braz. In around 1976 or 7 Soft Machine was touring Europe & our opening act was Kevin Ayers. The guitarist in his band was the great Andy Summers. I had a very big pedal board including switches to control the echo units & some really wacky stuff including an Electro Harmonix Speech Synthesiser pedal. Still got that one!
I remember at a soundcheck Andy having a go through my board & sounding amazing. He joined The Police shortly after, & I remember seeing him on the telly & his pedal board was bigger than my house! Great chap Andy, & some years later he & John Etheridge toured as a duo - brilliant. The promoter in Nottingham asked me if I’d go along to give them the big intro. I had a few gin & tonics to steady my nerves, then went on to tell the audience that they were the greatest duo to come from England since Morecombe & Wise! I think they liked that!
These days I use mostly Boss pedals & boards, which are very well designed & pedals can be easily changed around. With Fairport the effects I use are phasing or sometimes flanging, chorus, vibrato (subtle, very useful for putting vibrato on open strings & harmonics), & of course echo. Sometimes I’ve used distortion (e.g. Red Tide) & octave dividing (e.g. Red & Gold), but only rarely. If I had to do a gig without an echo unit though, I think I’d have a panic attack!!!
I’m writing this very early in the morning & could write about pedal boards all day, but I’m rehearsing with Silverblues, the new quartet I’m in with Ray Jackson & Tom Leary (Lindisfarne) & Vo Fletcher. We do some of those classic Lindisfarne songs, so I think I’ll get my Wy Aye Wah Wah pedal out!!
Love, Ric X

[Andy]

Saw Silverblues at Beardy.

Sorry, but do we really need THREE Lindisfarne tribute acts (with "Lindisfarne" and "The Alan Hull Story") doing the rounds? Any non-Lindisfarne tracks they played were just about ignored so they concentrated on the classic FOTT and similar to get the audiences approval.

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

[davidmjs]

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

Lindisfarne in an a cappella stylie by the sounds of it.  

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Saw Silverblues at Beardy.

Sorry, but do we really need THREE Lindisfarne tribute acts (with "Lindisfarne" and "The Alan Hull Story") doing the rounds? Any non-Lindisfarne tracks they played were just about ignored so they concentrated on the classic FOTT and similar to get the audiences approval.

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

Sad to read this as I am really looking forward to seeing the band on Friday 😥

[davidmjs]

Things that don't really compute in my head (largely because of when they joined I suppose and I remember them being young whippersnappers - I'm in moderate danger of laughing at my own joke there):  Ric is only 2 years younger than Simon and Chris is only 6 years younger than Simon (Peggy is 3 years older).

[Jules Gray]

Things that don't really compute in my head (largely because of when they joined I suppose and I remember them being young whippersnappers - I'm in moderate danger of laughing at my own joke there):  Ric is only 2 years younger than Simon and Chris is only 6 years younger than Simon (Peggy is 3 years older).

Of course Simon was almost the Little Jimmy Osmond of the original lineup.

Jules

[davidmjs]

Things that don't really compute in my head (largely because of when they joined I suppose and I remember them being young whippersnappers - I'm in moderate danger of laughing at my own joke there):  Ric is only 2 years younger than Simon and Chris is only 6 years younger than Simon (Peggy is 3 years older).

Of course Simon was almost the Little Jimmy Osmond of the original lineup.

Jules

Even Martin was a year older, and he looked about 15.

[Andy]

Saw Silverblues at Beardy.

Sorry, but do we really need THREE Lindisfarne tribute acts (with "Lindisfarne" and "The Alan Hull Story") doing the rounds? Any non-Lindisfarne tracks they played were just about ignored so they concentrated on the classic FOTT and similar to get the audiences approval.

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

Sad to read this as I am really looking forward to seeing the band on Friday 😥

You may love them

[wayne stote]

You can never have too much Lindisfarne as far as I'm concerned so I'd love to catch SilverBlues live at some point.

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Saw Silverblues at Beardy.

Sorry, but do we really need THREE Lindisfarne tribute acts (with "Lindisfarne" and "The Alan Hull Story") doing the rounds? Any non-Lindisfarne tracks they played were just about ignored so they concentrated on the classic FOTT and similar to get the audiences approval.

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

Sad to read this as I am really looking forward to seeing the band on Friday 😥

You may love them

Hoping so x

[Dan O.]

Really good podcast interview with Simon Nicol here :

https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/simon-nicol-fairport/

[Amethyst (Jenny)]

Saw Silverblues at Beardy.

Sorry, but do we really need THREE Lindisfarne tribute acts (with "Lindisfarne" and "The Alan Hull Story") doing the rounds? Any non-Lindisfarne tracks they played were just about ignored so they concentrated on the classic FOTT and similar to get the audiences approval.

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

Sad to read this as I am really looking forward to seeing the band on Friday 😥

You may love them

Hoping so x

I really did, great night!

[wayne stote]

Saw Silverblues at Beardy.

Sorry, but do we really need THREE Lindisfarne tribute acts (with "Lindisfarne" and "The Alan Hull Story") doing the rounds? Any non-Lindisfarne tracks they played were just about ignored so they concentrated on the classic FOTT and similar to get the audiences approval.

Ray Jackson has a great voice, the others contributed little and I can't see this particular collaboration continuing except, possibly, for financial reasons.

Sad to read this as I am really looking forward to seeing the band on Friday 😥

You may love them

Hoping so x

I really did, great night!

That's great!

[Andy]

Glad to hear that, Jenny.