Wintour support acts

[davidmjs]

Beats me. I saw them a lot in the 1980-85 era (Swarb, Bruce, Simon & Peggy mostly) but have no recollections of any support acts on those dates.

Lucky you, Gary    They seemed to have that Digance bloke permanently attached everytime I saw them then...mostly at Wimbledon Theatre.

[GubGub (Al)]

Vikki Clayton was the Wintour support in 2002. One of the best I've seen, I remember catching the gig in Worthing. Simon had a lousy cold/flu bug and couldn't sing. He played guitar, Chris and Peggy did all the vocals and invited Vikki on towards the end of the gig to sing WKWTTG and a great version of Matty Groves, played Liege & Lief style. One of only 2 (I think) Fairport gigs I've been to where they didn't finish with MOTL.

I was at that gig. It was a great one. Was it really as long ago as 2002? From what I recall Simon's lost voice forced them into an alternative approach and took advantage of Vikki being on the tour by playing a number of Sandy era songs in place of the ones Simon would normally have sung. More than the ones you mentioned, I thought. Possibly including Fotheringay? But I might be misremembering.

Vikki is still my favourite Sandy stand in, along with Chris While.

[Dan O.]

Vikki Clayton was the Wintour support in 2002. One of the best I've seen, I remember catching the gig in Worthing. Simon had a lousy cold/flu bug and couldn't sing. He played guitar, Chris and Peggy did all the vocals and invited Vikki on towards the end of the gig to sing WKWTTG and a great version of Matty Groves, played Liege & Lief style. One of only 2 (I think) Fairport gigs I've been to where they didn't finish with MOTL.

I was at that gig. It was a great one. Was it really as long ago as 2002? From what I recall Simon's lost voice forced them into an alternative approach and took advantage of Vikki being on the tour by playing a number of Sandy era songs in place of the ones Simon would normally have sung. More than the ones you mentioned, I thought. Possibly including Fotheringay? But I might be misremembering.

Vikki is still my favourite Sandy stand in, along with Chris While.

I seem to remember the guys doing the gig with as little disruption to the XXXV tour set as possible, but working around a lack of Simon's vocals, i.e. leaving out the numbers he sang lead on, and on songs like "The Happy Man" and "The Light Of Day" Chris singing the verses he would've sung. In addition to the numbers I mentioned, they played the Toss The Feathers medley from L&L at a cracking pace, slightly too fast, even for Ric's heart rate , as he told me afterwards.   Don't think they played Fotheringay, etc...although I'm happy to admit my memory's possibly playing tricks on me too.

[PaulT]

Vikki Clayton was the Wintour support in 2002. One of the best I've seen, I remember catching the gig in Worthing. Simon had a lousy cold/flu bug and couldn't sing. He played guitar, Chris and Peggy did all the vocals and invited Vikki on towards the end of the gig to sing WKWTTG and a great version of Matty Groves, played Liege & Lief style. One of only 2 (I think) Fairport gigs I've been to where they didn't finish with MOTL.

I was at that gig. It was a great one. Was it really as long ago as 2002? From what I recall Simon's lost voice forced them into an alternative approach and took advantage of Vikki being on the tour by playing a number of Sandy era songs in place of the ones Simon would normally have sung. More than the ones you mentioned, I thought. Possibly including Fotheringay? But I might be misremembering.

Vikki is still my favourite Sandy stand in, along with Chris While.

I seem to remember the guys doing the gig with as little disruption to the XXXV tour set as possible, but working around a lack of Simon's vocals, i.e. leaving out the numbers he sang lead on, and on songs like "The Happy Man" and "The Light Of Day" Chris singing the verses he would've sung. In addition to the numbers I mentioned, they played the Toss The Feathers medley from L&L at a cracking pace, slightly too fast, even for Ric's heart rate , as he told me afterwards.   Don't think they played Fotheringay, etc...although I'm happy to admit my memory's possibly playing tricks on me too.

Yep - remember that tour - Vikki was great - sang a lovely song titled something liked "Let me be the last one that you love"

Then there was the tour where Simon broke his leg/ankle, and (at the gig I was at) at the interval, they chucked a sheet over him where he sat on stage, as it was too much of a struggle for him to get off and back.  

Mr. Hutchings did something similar on his Cecil Sharp tour, when he pretended (at the end of the first half) he had to have a nap - and sat perfectly still on stage for the entire interval.

[Jim G]

I am pretty sure I remember seeing the Albion Band as Fairport's support act sometime back in the 80s/90s. It was at the Fairfield Halls I think. Gawd knows if was the WinTour, but that always used to be a regular venue on the Wintour in later years up until recently.

[GubGub (Al)]

Then there was the tour where Simon broke his leg/ankle, and (at the gig I was at) at the interval, they chucked a sheet over him where he sat on stage, as it was too much of a struggle for him to get off and back.  

I saw that tour too, at the Gravesend gig I believe. Another good one. I have a theory that Fairport always play better in the face of some adversity. When one of the members is under the weather, everybody else seems to compensate by playing with greater energy and intensity. I didn't see tham on the current tour but it must have been a struggle with three members crocked one way or another.

The best Fairport gig I ever saw was just after Ric's plate glass interface. It was in a tent in Gosport and Chris was temporarily standing in for Ric. The band must have registered the confusion of the fans who were unaware of Ric's accident (including me) but the Simon, Peggy, Maart, DM, Chris line up were absolutely on fire that night.

[Jack Westwood]

.....and I would register my enjoyment of the lovely Fraser Nimmo. 1998, I think.
But a Cropredy stalwart and set up a lovely gig for the chaps in Birmam, Perthsire in May of 2012.