Wintour 2023

[hendo (Dave)]

I can never understand why anyone would want to know a set list beforehand, so thanks for keeping it hidden!

I can never understand why anyone wouldn't, but horses for courses and all that!

For me the anticipation of what is coming next is part of the live gig experience.
I still live in hope that, one day, Fairport will play “Book Song” live! (If anyone from Fairport Towers sees this and wants to make an aging man very happy, I’ll be at the Worthing gig🤣)

Bill , I may be misremembering (!) but didn’t Ian Matthews play it at Cropredy some years ago. ?

[Delfini (Diane)]

I prefer not to know the set list - I like the surprise element, and just to go with the flow.

[Adam]

Great night at Southampton; small venue (350), but sold out which definitely added to the atmosphere. I also agree that DM added some real omph to the older classics, and a different feel to the newer songs that he hadn’t played on.  The chaps were in good form, and seemed to be having a good a time as we were.

[hendo (Dave)]

Great night at Southampton; small venue (350), but sold out which definitely added to the atmosphere. I also agree that DM added some real omph to the older classics, and a different feel to the newer songs that he hadn’t played on.  The chaps were in good form, and seemed to be having a good a time as we were.

Most of the tour venues seem to be sitting around that size. Gone are the days of 2000 seat theatres?

[Adam]

Great night at Southampton; small venue (350), but sold out which definitely added to the atmosphere. I also agree that DM added some real omph to the older classics, and a different feel to the newer songs that he hadn’t played on.  The chaps were in good form, and seemed to be having a good a time as we were.

Most of the tour venues seem to be sitting around that size. Gone are the days of 2000 seat theatres?

I reckon so. Hopefully it’s still commercially viable to tour.  I’ve no idea what the ongoing  tour costs are, but selling 350 tickets at £29 plus merchandise (less whatever cut the venues take) seems ok to me. There are probably loads of costs beyond transport and accommodation that I haven’t thought of, though, so no idea what a break even point would be.

[David W]

Great night at Southampton; small venue (350), but sold out which definitely added to the atmosphere. I also agree that DM added some real omph to the older classics, and a different feel to the newer songs that he hadn’t played on.  The chaps were in good form, and seemed to be having a good a time as we were.

Most of the tour venues seem to be sitting around that size. Gone are the days of 2000 seat theatres?

I reckon so. Hopefully it’s still commercially viable to tour.  I’ve no idea what the ongoing  tour costs are, but selling 350 tickets at £29 plus merchandise (less whatever cut the venues take) seems ok to me. There are probably loads of costs beyond transport and accommodation that I haven’t thought of, though, so no idea what a break even point would be.

Solihull Core charges £1344 for an evening session (6:00 - 11:00), £678 for rehearsal / afternoon set up, £42 ticketing fee and 10% of merch so basic venue costs come to £2000 ish for one night.

360 seats at £28 = £10,000 ish so the band could expect to clear between 6 and 7 grand on the venue with a decent audience.

Probably a smaller venue in size and costs but interesting figures.

DW

[hendo (Dave)]

Great night at Southampton; small venue (350), but sold out which definitely added to the atmosphere. I also agree that DM added some real omph to the older classics, and a different feel to the newer songs that he hadn’t played on.  The chaps were in good form, and seemed to be having a good a time as we were.

Most of the tour venues seem to be sitting around that size. Gone are the days of 2000 seat theatres?

I reckon so. Hopefully it’s still commercially viable to tour.  I’ve no idea what the ongoing  tour costs are, but selling 350 tickets at £29 plus merchandise (less whatever cut the venues take) seems ok to me. There are probably loads of costs beyond transport and accommodation that I haven’t thought of, though, so no idea what a break even point would be.

Solihull Core charges £1344 for an evening session (6:00 - 11:00), £678 for rehearsal / afternoon set up, £42 ticketing fee and 10% of merch so basic venue costs come to £2000 ish for one night.

360 seats at £28 = £10,000 ish so the band could expect to clear between 6 and 7 grand on the venue with a decent audience.

Probably a smaller venue in size and costs but interesting figures.

DW

Show of Hands had to stop touring as a 4 piece, post lockdowns , as it wasn’t financially viable…
No idea what crew Fairports carry, driver, sound man, monitor engineer, roadies etc , so at a bare minimum 10 people sharing that figure, plus , fuel accommodation.
…..and we are assuming that the support act don’t get paid but survive on merch sales, difficult in smaller venues……
Band merch these days , seems to keep smaller  bands afloat….

[davidmjs]

Band merch these days , seems to keep smaller  bands afloat….

Which is why venues demanding a substantial cut of them is causing such a problem throughout the industry.  Everybody, venues promoters and artists, are being squeezed in every direction.  Capitalism isn't working part 243...

[Delfini (Diane)]

Splendid night at Milton Keynes last night.

[Nick Reg]

DM!! Wow.

[Marky]

They're a different band with DM behind the kit. That was a drumming master class.

[Ja Howie]

Couldn't agree more. Thought the "atmospherics" he added on keys were spot on too.
Not sure everything Ric does with his fiddle is strictly legal in public though.

[Polly Oxford (Andie)]

Loved the 'new' line up at Chequer Mead last night, the band had a real buzz, despite Simon manfully fighting a bad throat.

[garrypbrooks]

Loved the 'new' line up at Chequer Mead last night, the band had a real buzz, despite Simon manfully fighting a bad throat.

From where we were in the circle, the sound balance in the first half was awful - drums WAY too loud and vocals lost in the mix
Second half was much better.

[Harbottle (Martin)]

i was just trying to get a ticket for Solihull, but their website keeps throwing errors.
So I've given up and will stay in instead.

[davidmjs]

i was just trying to get a ticket for Solihull, but their website keeps throwing errors.
So I've given up and will stay in instead.

Just a thought but how about trying a different browser or giving them a call instead?

[Harbottle (Martin)]

I gave them a call - just a recorded message.

"We were unable to process your request. Try again or call customer disservice."

EDIT: At last, two debit cards later it's worked! For some reason it didn't like two of my cards.

[Harbottle (Martin)]

Well I am glad I persisted with the useless website, as that was brilliant tonight. Last time I saw them was some years at a small theatre in Coventry (Ruined by an idiot talking all the way through it) which wasn't great (I think it was an acoustic show).

It was great seeing DM back again. Although I did get that heart sinking feeling when he approached the keyboards as I always knew this was the cue for a song I don't like.

A great set list, so many of my favourite tracks, and absolutely fabulous playing. Perhaps my favourite Fairport gig.

Is there some sort of 'ritual' that involves waving a mobile phone around with a light in during Meet on the Ledge?

[David W]

Solihull last night - got off to a great start having a chat with Gerry Colvin.

On to the gig itself, Ben and Hannah were pretty damn good support, nice Americana vibe, some good playing especially the slide work and a stunning version of "I bought my love a cherry".

The link song to Fairport was a real treat and surprise, nice for an unusual bit of LandL to be in the set.

On to FC so the individuals:

Simon - clearly not too well, a change in set list gave more work for Chris, but his playing was great as ever although at one point it looked like his left hand was giving him some gyp - hopefully nothing to worry about.
Peggy - loving playing back in the West Mids, lots of mates in the audience and out front both before the set and in the interval.
Chris - solid as ever, BUT I don't think he played fiddle at all which I think is a shame.
Ric - a bit too Ric for my liking this time, the "comedy" introductions were just too damn long and even for him some of the playing was just over the top.
DM - simply brilliant, I was trying to work out the difference and can only out it this way, Gerry is a terrific drummer who supports the sound nd the band, DM drives the sound in a much more dymanic way, good to hear his keyboard skills as well.

The set list was, not unexpectedly, largely based on Shuffle and Go and Full House with a few other gems in for good measure. Definitely one for fans of the older work and showed the dark mythical  quality to a lot of the early work as opposed to the more light, upbeat nature of recent outings.

Last time I saw FC was a seated semi acoustic affair and I thought that style worked very well for them, indeed that touring as a full rock band was unlikely to happen again but this tour has showed there is life in tghe old dogs yet.

TTFN

DW

[Harbottle (Martin)]

I don't  like the Shuffle and Go album much, but live the songs seem a lot better.