Another chance to see a band that is now becoming one of my regular concert experiences. I have seen Fairport Convention many times over the years, sometimes twice a year as the band tours in two formats: electric and acoustic. This was the annual winter tour with the electric band which features the entire Fairport line – up including long time drummer Dave Mattacks. This time Fairport Convention were appearing at my local venue, The Fire Station. I have travelled in the past to Harrogate and Hexham to see Fairport Convention so it was great that they were performing at a venue literally a few minutes away from my home.
The Fire Station website announced the concert thus: “Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, having formed in 1967. During that time, the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance. This year’s Winter Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new. Fairport Convention have won a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted their ground-breaking album Liege & Lief ‘The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’. Their story has been celebrated with television documentaries on BBC Four and Sky Arts. Featuring founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals. Fairport will be joined on stage by former member Dave Mattacks on drums.”
Support came from the brilliant PlumHall (husband and wife Michelle Plum and Nick Hall). “Using a mesmerising combination of acoustic and electric instruments (occasionally with electronica), they create breathtaking soundscapes to their powerful original songs.”
“Stuffing their set with a surprising amount of new material for a vintage act, Fairport are still clearly having fun and brought the house down.” The Guardian
As we entered the venue I was pleased to meet up with several old friends who I have not seen for some time: three friends all called Ian who had come along together; Mike and Maureen; and Doug all said hello and we had a nice chat about old times. Jackie, Jan and I then headed for the merchandise stand where we were greeted by Dave Pegg who kindly signed programmes for me. Dave is, of course, the longest serving member of Fairport Convention having joined the band in 1970.
After buying drinks (mine was a Guinness) we entered the hall to watch aforementioned support act PlumHall who come with much critical acclaim and were introduced by Fairport violinist Ric Sanders. The plaudits include: “A fine duo…go and see them if you get the chance” Steve Knightley – Show of Hands; “Their chemistry as a duo makes them special with sumptuous vocal harmonies and telepathic guitar interactions. Michelle is one of the UK’s leading chanteuses. Nick is a consummate storyteller, powerful vocalist and exceptional guitarist.” Dave Scott – Blues In Britain Magazine; “A mighty force…smart lyric writing and wonderful harmonies set them above most of their contemporaries. It is rare indeed that we get to see writers and performers of such distinction” Miles Hunt -The Wonder Stuff.
As is usual for a Fairport concert, the support duo performed for around 30 minutes and then were joined by the main act who performed a song with PlumHall, who then left the stage and Fairport opened their first set with the familiar old to “Walk Awhile”. Next up was a song which I have not seen the band perform for some time, the excellent “Genesis Hall”. The first set concluded with another familiar favourite, “Sloth”.
During the interval I decided to partake in my current favourite tipple; a double espresso with a Jack Daniels shot. A lovely hit which kicked me into the second half of the show. As usual, the band told many comical stories to introduce their familiar, and some not so familiar, folkrock classics, closing with the traditional folk tale of the young “Matty Groves”. But we knew this would not be the end. Fairport returned, accompanied by PlumHall to perform the timeless singalong “Meet on the Ledge”. The female vocals provided by Michelle added to the authenticity of the song. Still magical after all these years.
Another great performance by the true purveyors of folkrock. Thanks to Jackie for the photographs and Chris for manipulating the site.
Fairport Convention Setlist. Set One: Walk Awhile; Genesis Hall; Bankruptured; Hawkwood’s Army; Sir William Gower; The Festival Bell; Sloth.
Set Two: Don’t Reveal My Name; The Happy Man; Crazy Man Michael; The Year of Fifty Nine; I’m Already There; Polly on the Shore; Steampunkery; The Hiring Fair; Matty Groves.
Encore: Meet on the Ledge
Another “trip out” to see a group of (who seem like) old friends. This time it was the acoustic version of 
The Queen’s Hall is set behind a park in the centre of Hexham (thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the image). The staff in the venue quickly helped us up in the lift and found us some alternative seats (presumably because we were late in arriving) at the rear of the hall overlooking the stage, with actually a pretty good view of the proceedings. The staff were wonderful and really helpful throughout the night going out of their way to make sure I was safe going up and down in the lift to reach the bar during the interval.
I have seen Fairport Convention many times in recent years. Each time I enjoy them more and more. This band has a rich folk-rock heritage and a massive back catalogue of songs to draw from. Each song is preceded by a detailed and often comical explanation of the origin and meaning of the song. Each member takes a turn in explaining the songs and taking a lead role on either vocals, guitar, mandolin or violin. The first set completed with some songs which are becoming very familiar to me now. The sound was excellent and the audience reception was very warm and friendly. In a Fairport Convention concert, I often get the feeling that it is a meeting of old friends coming together, and last night was no exception. This band have a very strong, loyal following.
There was no new merchandise on sale, other than CDs and the recently published Gonna See All My Friends: A People’s history of Fairport Convention book to which I contributed and already have a copy. Still, that allowed me a little more time to venture downstairs to the bar and partake in a lovely double 
The second half of the concert was excellent as always. The singing troubadours delivered a clutch of songs some familiar and some less so. “Portmeirion” is based on the village where the TV series The Prisoner was set. I used to watch it when it was first aired in the 1960s and could not understand it. Perhaps it is time to revisit it? I will see. Soon we were taken back in time again, to the day when, as told by Simon Nicol, they auditioned for a lady singer and in walked Sandy Denny who for a few short years changed the nature, sound and destiny of the band. Simon delivered an exquisite rendition of my favourite “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”. As magical as it ever was and always will be. I was pleased to see that particular song return to the set. Then followed the traditional song “Matty Groves” as the closing folk tale. But we knew that wasn’t the end. Fairport returned to deliver the timeless encore “Meet on the Ledge”. A great evening with a great band.
When I was young my Dad would take me to the cinema. He loved movies and he would take me to all the local cinemas around Sunderland and Newcastle. There were so many more cinemas in those days. We would go three or four times a week to the cinema. I saw every Walt Disney cartoon, all the Sean Connery James Bond films, Cliff Richard in Summer Holiday and all his other films, the Beatles in Hard Day’s Night and Help and just about every film that came out during the early to mid-1960s. I even remember going in the middle of the night to watch a grainy image of Cassius Clay fighting at a live screening in a cinema in Newcastle. And another vivid memory is of going one Saturday afternoon to the Stoll Theatre to see the original (and best in my view) King Kong. I remember being terrified when Kong first appeared on the screen. Well, I guess you are wondering why I am starting my post with this story. The connection is this. The Stoll Theatre is now the Tyne Theatre.
So, roll on almost 60 years and I am back in the Tyne Theatre. Thanks to a restoration it still has all the original, ornate features and is a fantastic old theatre and opera house. And this time it is to see a giant of folk and rock music, 
Jackie and I arrived in time to catch the support act, I think they were called Memoir, an excellent duo with great songs. After a short interval, Richard took the stage. Tonight, we were treated to Richard the solo artist and folk singer with acoustic guitar. Later on in the set he was accompanied by a female singer. At one point he told us how, as a young man, he would travel from his home in North London to the Marquee Club in Soho, to see tremendous acts of the time including The Who, The Move and on a Friday night, the Yardbirds. He said he would stand, in awe, at the feet of the late great Jeff Beck.
Richard took us through a selection of his extensive repertoire including back to a song he wrote with Fairport Convention “Genesis Hall” and a lovely rendition of “Who knows where the time goes” written during his time with Fairport Convention by the unique talent that was Sandy Denny. I particularly like the song “Beeswing” which is quite haunting. Throughout, his guitar playing was impeccable and his unique voice draws you into the story behind the song. I am now completely sold on the talent of Richard Thompson and will try and see him each time he visits the region.
Setlist (Something like): Gethsemane; If I Could Live My Life Again; Genesis Hall; Valerie; Walking the Long Miles Home; Down Where the Drunkards Roll; Johnny’s Far Away; 1952 Vincent Black Lightning; Singapore Sadie; Trust; Word Unspoken, Sight Unseen; Who Knows Where the Time Goes; I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight; The Rattle Within.
A bit of an adventure. I always try and get to see 
The Royal Hall is a wonderful, exquisite, old, building (see image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons). I have been there twice before, once to see Camel and on another occasion to see the Groundhogs, Martin Turner’s Wishbone Ash and Focus as part of a Classic Rock package tour. When we arrived, Fairport were already on stage, just starting their first set.
Their official site promised: “Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, having formed in 1967. During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance. This year’s Winter Tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new.”
The current band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, long-time member Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals. This time round Fairport Convention were also joined on stage by former member Dave Mattacks on drums. Sadly, we arrived too late to catch the opening act 
Fairport always guarantee a pleasant evening with a mixture of fun stories, and songs old and new. The first set was exactly that with songs from their latest album and closing with “Sloth” from the 1970 Full House LP. “Stuffing their set with a surprising amount of new material for a vintage act, Fairport are still clearly having fun and brought the house down.” (The Guardian)
During the interval I picked up a programme, signed by the band. Dave Pegg was, as usual, at the merchandise desk greeting fans and signing items. He kindly signed two programmes for me, one for me and one for my friend John in the USA. I also purchased a lovely little book which Peggy had produced to accompany a box set some years ago. The cover is full of images of him over the years (see picture). It was good to meet up with Richard Houghton, the publisher of 
After a glass of red wine, we took our seats for the second half of the show. Once again, we were treated to a selection of songs old and new culminating in the traditional folk song “Matty Groves” and the always highly anticipated encore finale “Meet on the Ledge”. The vocals of Hannah Sanders from the opening act added an extra dimension to the song which of course was originally sung by the sadly missed Sandy Denny.
We left via the exit (see sign, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) and were greeted by our taxi driver. The drive north was equally scary with a true pea souper fog that limited our speed. We eventually picked up carer number two, Elaine, close to 1 AM and they put me to bed just after 1:10 AM. An interesting, exciting, scary, yet worthwhile evening.
“Fairport is an institution, a festival, purveyors of memories, and keepers of the folk flame. But most of all they are a brilliant live band.” (Folk & Tumble magazine)
It has been a few years since 
Full House album. A great opener to a great night.
After a quick pint of Guinness I am off back up in the lift to my seat. The rest of the set is a mixture of old songs, and quite a few new ones from the new album. Fairport are showcasing tracks from the Full House album, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020 and which will form a major part of their performance at their annual Copredy festival in the summer, where they will be joined by old friends and members, including the legendary Richard Thompson. I always get the feeling that being in the presence of Fairport Convention is like joining a family get together. They are obviously all good friends and always make the audience feel very much “at home”. Original member Simon Nicol and long-time member Dave Pegg lead the rest of the band, who have now all been part of the family for many years themselves, through a series of songs which are the usual blend of traditional folk and rock music. The closing song is, as usual, the lengthy traditional folk story ballad “Matty Groves”. For the encore, as always, they are joined again by the support act Luke Jackson, for a joyful singalong “Meet On the Ledge”, taking us back to 1969 and the What We Did on Our Holidays album. A great evening spent with some peaceful, joyful songs performed by a band who, as I said earlier, made everyone feel “at home” with them.
Many thanks to Jackie for the photographs and for Chris for coming to put me back into bed.
So here is a report of the latest gig I attended. Actually I have been quite a few concerts over the last 4 years so I will try and catch up in the weeks and months to come and blog about each of these. My gig attendance has been curtailed somewhat, but I am still managing to go to see bands so I decided to write about it again.
The first thing we went to see, outside the Sage, was the knife angel sculpture. “The Knife Angel is a 27ft sculpture crafted out of 100,000 knives that have been surrendered to police forces across the country. It is also known as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression. It was first unveiled in 2017 and has been touring the UK since.”
It was great to see them perform “Who Knows Where the Time Goes” in a version which did justice to the original. Closing songs were, as always, “Matty Groves” followed by the encore “Meet on the Ledge” for which they were joined by support act Smith and Brewer. Then it was back in the taxi and on my way home, picking up second carer Chris who had kindly agreed to help get me back to bed. All in all it was great to see Fairport Convention again, and I look forward to further encounters in the future. 
I recognise the importance of Fairport Convention in the history of rock and pop music, and particularly folk-rock; however I have never been a massive fan of the band. I’ve seen them a few times in concert over the years, probably half a dozen or so in total. I used to play Meet on the Ledge a lot when I was younger; it featured on the lp You Can All Join In, which was a popular low price sampler album of the early 70s. Everyone at school had the album and Meet on the Ledge was a favourite track. I also had a Polydor 3 lp box set, which I think was called Pop Party, and had a couple of very early Fairport tracks on it, including If I Had a Ribbon Bow, which I thought was great fun. 
I also love Where Does The Time Go. Some of their other material is just a little too traditional folk for me. Having said that I’ve been to see them a few times recently and always enjoy their shows. I first saw Fairport in the early 70s at a gig at Sunderland Locarno (or it could have Sunderland Top Rank; or possibly at both…..). I remember thinking that they were suprisingly loud for a folk-rock band. I then saw them as support act for Zeppelin at Knebworth. I also saw a few Fairport related acts during the 70s: Sandy Denny solo, Richard and Linda Thompson and Dave Swarbrick solo. The ticket here is for a Fairport Acoustic gig which David and I saw at Alnwick Playhouse five years or so ago. We both enjoyed the gig, which was in quite initimate surroundings. The programme shown here is from a gig in the early 90s, which I don’t recollect attending to be honest. I think I may have bought this programme at a car boot fair some years ago! The last couple of times I have seen Fairport Convention has been at The Sage, Gateshead; I blogged on those gigs when I attended then. My admiration for, and interest in, the band continues to grow over the years. Long may they continue. 
Marie and I spent a very pleasant evening in the Sage Gateshead last night seeing Fairport Convention. This time the band had chosen to visit the smaller Hall 2, which had been sold out for some weeks. We bought a programme on the way in, which Dave Pegg and Ric Sanders, who sitting at the merchandise table, kindly signed. Support came from Irish singer songwriter Kieran Goss, who delivered a short, but enjoyable set, before being joined by the Fairports for a nice version of Reach Out (I’ll Be There), the old Motown classic. This was Fairport’s 45th (!) anniversary tour, and for the occasion they asked fans to nominate songs, via email, that they would like to hear from their massive back catalogue. This has resulted in a set list with old favourites and a few surprises. 
We bought a programme calendar when we arrived and Dave Pegg and Ric Sanders kindly signed it for us. For me, the highlight of the night was a beautiful rendition of Sandy Dennny’s Fotheringay from the 1969 lp, What We Did On Our Holidays. The sound was crisp and clear; the Sage has wonderful acoustics. Setlist: Reach Out (with Kieran Goss);Sir Patrick Spens; Crazy Man Michael; Farewell, Farewell; Albert & Ted; The Cell Song; Genesis Hall; John Gaudie / Shetland Tunes; Interval: Mercy Bay; Fotheringay; Celtic Moon; Rosie; Jewel In The Crown; I Wandered By The Brookside; Hexamshire Lass; Hiring Fair; Danny Jacks Reward; Matty Groves; Encore: Meet On The Ledge
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