Winter Tour 2015

[RobertD]

Are there any other bands that the members of this board have seen as many times as they have seen FC ?
If you see a band once or twice a year, the sense of event is not going to happen, it's more of an old friends vibe instead.
Are there any acts that have been releasing albums as long as FC, or longer, that are guaranteed to blow you away with a new album the way they did with a classic that came out in the Sixties or Seventies?
McCartney, Elton John and those guys don't really. Maybe Dylan, Young or R.T - but with those guys it seems more like a case of 'the new album is a good one' or 'not one of his best, but it's O.K'. A 'return to form' album is not usually a new classic, but one that's not disappointing.
A good portion of the 'blame' should also be applied to ourselves, with the old music associated with our youth, nostalgia for the times when we weren't all cynical old gits, and FC were something new to us. They can't be new to us again, to expect that is unrealistic. We have to look elsewhere for 'something new'..usually to bands who are just starting a career with a slightly different twist to what has gone before.
On some of the other forums I'm a member of, no matter what the topic, there are always comments from people that say, for example, ' They should get back with Roger...what we want is a Floyd tour', 'I wish Plant and Page would sort it out and do another tour', ' I think they should get back with Gabriel and tour The Lamb', ' Blackmore should stop the minstrel stuff and do Purple one more time.'...blah, blah,blah. The golden years have gone now. We have to enjoy what is happening now or go elsewhere, but to grump about the band or act in question is a tad unfair.

Great post Mike. The other thing is for me that I genuinely believe Fairport try and are not simply going through the motions unlike other nostalgia heavy bands. While some may not like the material much, I believe Fairport still strive to make good albums. Now someone like The Moody Blues (whom I have been a long time fan of) have not had new material as a band for years now, and nothing in sight. Every year they are out there though, singing Nights In White Satin and Question to crowds that only want to hear the classic music and probably could give a toss if they ever released something new again. So which would you rather have?

Robert at the risk of being obverse I would always rather have a band that takes a risk and does new stuff, I have just bought Robert Plant's new album for that very reason. I still admire Fairport's for that........
 It just happens with the exception of Mercy Bay and My Love is in America, I haven't been fired up by a lot of Fairport's  recent (last 10 yrs) and new stuff. It's pleasant , it's nice, it's a comfortable pair of slippers......... Sorry.

I almost posted a long diatribe just now but decided against it. Not against you personally Dave, you are speaking for yourself which is fair enough. Instead I will just say simply that some of us do still get fired up at Fairport's new work and do not feel the way you do.

[davidmjs]

'Fired up' or 'quite like it'?  Genuine question.....

[David W]

'Fired up' or 'quite like it'?  Genuine question.....

A song about a woman morris dancing - what's not to get fired up about?

DW

[RobertD]

Well I fear this may lead to thread drift but for me, fired up, particularly Festival Bell and JBL Live to use two recent examples. After almost 28 years of listening to them I do still get genuinely excited at any prospect of new Fairport material. I still plunk my money down to get the album as close to release date as possible, I still excitedly read liner notes and I still listen to it back to back to back to get a feel for it just like I did years ago. That is not to say that I don't think they make mistakes from time to time on albums, or should have done something differently, but yes, for me I get as fired up hearing Mercy Bay as I do Matty Groves, Willow Creek to Walk Awhile, or Close To You to Come All Ye. Quite simply as I said in my blog, for 28 years they have been my favorite band. They will be tomorrow and the next day and the next for that matter.

[davidmjs]

Interesting.  They are one of my favourite bands too...but for nothing they've done in a recording studio after the 1970's (although I've owned it all).  Seen them well over 50 times from 1981 to 2010 (only once after the Barbican gig...that was it for me....how can you begin to match near perfection?).  And I have precisely no interest in ever seeing them again.  Breaks my heart to say that, but it's true...for now at least.

[Hurricane (Dan)]

Interesting.  They are one of my favourite bands too...but for nothing they've done in a recording studio after the 1970's (although I've owned it all).  Seen them well over 50 times from 1981 to 2010 (only once after the Barbican gig...that was it for me....how can you begin to match near perfection?).  And I have precisely no interest in ever seeing them again.  Breaks my heart to say that, but it's true...for now at least.

David, take this in the spirit it is intended, but out of interest why would you spend so much time on the forum for a band that has done nothing you've liked since 1979 and have no interest seeing live again?!

[AdrianW]

Bagged one of the last rooms at Swarthmoor Hall for the Ulverston gig. Anybody else staying there? Or indeed stayed there. It looks interesting.

[davidmjs]

Bagged one of the last rooms at Swarthmoor Hall for the Ulverston gig. Anybody else staying there? Or indeed stayed there. It looks interesting.

Been on a Quaker course there (but not stayed over).  Beautiful place.  

[hendo (Dave)]

Interesting.  They are one of my favourite bands too...but for nothing they've done in a recording studio after the 1970's (although I've owned it all).  Seen them well over 50 times from 1981 to 2010 (only once after the Barbican gig...that was it for me....how can you begin to match near perfection?).  And I have precisely no interest in ever seeing them again.  Breaks my heart to say that, but it's true...for now at least.

David, take this in the spirit it is intended, but out of interest why would you spend so much time on the forum for a band that has done nothing you've liked since 1979 and have no interest seeing live again?!

That's not what he said.
I am in a similarish (!) place to David and I am on this site cos I hope to talk to people with similar musical interests.
There seem to be a lot less people using the site now, far less cropredy reviews this yr (imho) and generally less interest in fairports.
Watching them at Cropredy I really wanted to like their new stuff........ but it left me cold. Breaks my heart too. Last week I relistened to my copies of Sense of Occasion /Over the Next Hill , with the exception of Special Place ( for personal reasons) there is nothing that I want to return to. I really wish there was.
Wandering around Worcester festival last night I found so much music by young people, with real energy and drive from, electro to punk to indie to ambient to folk. Have a listen to Bethan and the Morgans and Fred's House

[davidmjs]

Interesting.  They are one of my favourite bands too...but for nothing they've done in a recording studio after the 1970's (although I've owned it all).  Seen them well over 50 times from 1981 to 2010 (only once after the Barbican gig...that was it for me....how can you begin to match near perfection?).  And I have precisely no interest in ever seeing them again.  Breaks my heart to say that, but it's true...for now at least.

David, take this in the spirit it is intended, but out of interest why would you spend so much time on the forum for a band that has done nothing you've liked since 1979 and have no interest seeing live again?!

That's not what he said.

The very simple answer to that is a) habit and b) the fact that everything the band did before that date (although actually before 1985 would be more accurate in my case as I first saw them in the early 80's as a young teenager) means so much to me.  And they are still 'family' in my head... 3 or 4 of the best Top 10 live performances I've ever seen have been by 'Fairport'...and one of them was only 5 years ago..  

I'm also a huge fan of at least 4 of the current band (I don't have anything against Ric personally - he's a lovely bloke and he played excellent violin on one of my fave albums ever - Rise Up Like the Sun - but I never have and 30 years on still don't think he's the right person on the fiddle for Fairport.  That bloke is in the band, but relegated to a position that makes it impossible for him to play to his strengths - which quite categorically isn't songwriting and singer).  It is what it is...  Doesn't stop the band playing a huge part in my life though.

[AdrianW]

The Ulverston Coronation Hall Box Office (01229 587140, phone answered from 10:00 on) is now taking bookings for the Fairport gig on 01/02.
The Box Office will enquire why it is not yet visible on the events page.

I was the second to order, beaten to it by a little old lady who buys a ticket for everything.

In passing, I have seen Fred's House and enjoyed them a lot.

[Chris]

Birmingham on sale on Friday....

Members there will know what to do....

[Shankly (Peter)]

Southport tickets went on sale this morning and we've got three front row centre tickets - I love the front row at the Atkinson - it's almost like being in the band!

[Tony Pim]

Southport tickets went on sale this morning and we've got three front row centre tickets - I love the front row at the Atkinson - it's almost like being in the band!

Thanks Shanks - we'll be next you !

[PaulT]

Southport tickets went on sale this morning and we've got three front row centre tickets - I love the front row at the Atkinson - it's almost like being in the band!

For comedy shows at the venue, I recommend Row N..........  

[mickf]

Southport tickets went on sale this morning and we've got three front row centre tickets - I love the front row at the Atkinson - it's almost like being in the band!

For comedy shows at the venue, I recommend Row N..........  

B'dum tish!

[PaulT]

I see the chaps are playing at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall as part of Celtic Connections on 16th Jan; the previous evening (opening night of the festival) features the music of the late (and great) Martyn Bennett - who I had the privilege of seeing perform at that same venue.  I feel a trip north coming on...

[Field 7 is Heaven (Trev)]

I have been a great fan of the band since my cousin dragged me to see them at a club in London in 1968 or 69. Cant remember which and when.
Ive grown up and old with them.

However, its not that that does it for me. Ive never heard them play better than they did at Butlins, I think that will be the high point of their performing and it was only last year!!! This years Cropredy was quite classy and the Winter tour 2014 was one of the most polished I have seen, loosing Peggy for the tour but still hitting the mark.

They are simply very , very , good. If we weren't all so familiar with them we would be raving about them , still.

Its a massive disappointment to me that they don't appear within a 150 mile round trip of us in North Wales this year.

[Jim G]

Went into buy some tickets at The Electric Palace in Bridport for February 28th ...not on sale yet.

[mickf]

Quick question. Anyone managed to get tickets for the Swansea concert in February yet? I can't seem to get hold of the box office. Am I missing something?