Tag Archives: Fairport Convention

Gig review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, Tuesday 13 February 2024

Fairport Convention, Cropredy - 9 August 2014

“We became big fish in a very small pond” Simon Nicol says with usual modesty about Fairport Convention’s leap from the nascent folk band to suddenly becoming the poster children of the flourishing folk rock movement, brought about by a … Continue reading

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Album review: RICHARD THOMPSON BAND – Live In Nottingham 1986

richard thompson band live in nottingham 1986

Store For Music [Release date 26.01.24] An archive live performance released on CD for the first time (and with the blessing of Richard Thompson, which is not always the case with these live CDs), recorded on his 1986 tour. Angel … Continue reading

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Gig review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – The Junction, Cambridge, 31 October 2023

FC

They started off as a band in 1967 but now, more than ever, Fairport Convention are a family, the sense of community between not just the musicians themselves but the fans too something that’s vital and heart-warming. Eternally set squarely … Continue reading

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Book review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION On Track – Every Song, Every Album by Kevan Furbank

Sonicbond Publishing [Publication date 26.03.20] The ‘On Track’ series by publishers Sonic Bond provides an album by album, track by track overview of a number of artists. The latest in the series to get this treatment are British folk-rock legends … Continue reading

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Album review: RICHARD THOMPSON – Live At Rock City, Nottingham 86

RICHARD THOMPSON - Live At Rock City, Nottingham 86

Angel Air/Store For Music [Release date 13.03.20] An archive live performance from Richard Thompson from 1986 where he has backed by a veritable array of top notch folk musicians including Clive Gregson & Christine Collister (who were forging a successful … Continue reading

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Album review: ALAN SIMON – Excalibur The Mythical Concert

ALAN SIMON - Excalibur The Mythical Concert

“Excalibur – The Mythical Concert” (CD&DVD) “Excalibur – Live In Broceliande” (CD&DVD) [Release Date 25.10.19] In the late nineties, Breton’s Alan Simon created “Excalibur”, a Progressive/ Symphonic/ Celtic Folk Rock series, based on Arthurian legend. It proved to be hugely … Continue reading

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Gig review: CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL – Cherry Hinton Hall – 1-4 August 2019

Beginning in 1965, once a year Cambridge Folk Festival transforms the grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall into something a bit special.  Cambridge Folk Festival is more than just the folk music.  The festival pride themselves on hosting a diverse range of … Continue reading

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Quick plays: THE WILLOWS, ME AND MY FRIENDS, JEROME MAZZA

THE WILLOWS Through the Wild [Release date 30.11.18] ‘Through the Wild’ is the third album from the Cambridge folk band the Willows, who have picked up praise from the likes of Bob Harris and Mike Harding. Listening to this album … Continue reading

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Album review: RICHARD THOMPSON – 13 Rivers

RICHARD THOMPSON - 13 Rivers

Proper Music [Release date 14.09.18] Richard Thompson describes this album as “There are 13 songs on the record, and each one is like a river. Some flow faster than others.  Some follow a slow and winding current. They all culminate … Continue reading

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Gig review: CROPREDY FESTIVAL, 9-11 August 2018

CROPREDY FESTIVAL, 9-11 August 2018

Day One: Thursday Cropredy 2018 kicks off with Fairport Convention doing a brief twenty-minute acoustic stint. We’ll be hearing a lot more from them later on in the weekend, of course, but a short opening set from the hosts has … Continue reading

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Quick plays: PILGRIMS’ WAY, RICHARD THOMPSON

PILGRIMS

PILGRIMS’ WAY Stand & Deliver [Release date 20.10.1] Pilgrims’ Way are a four piece folk band, although they take folk as their starting point and add in pop, West End showmanship and more into their musical pot. This album as … Continue reading

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Gig review: CROPREDY, Oxfordshire, 10-12 August 2017

Fairport Convention - Cropredy, 13-15 August 2015

Fairport Convention’s festival at Cropredy has been an annual fixture for almost four decades now but the big celebration this year was marking the fiftieth anniversary of the band’s formation. In the eight years since I have been going it … Continue reading

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Gig review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – Union Chapel, London, 27 May 2017

Fairport Convention - Cropredy, 13-15 August 2015

Folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention have never been a band to shy away from celebrating their own legacy. When they decided to split in 1979 they held a big outdoor farewell gig in Cropredy, Oxfordshire that proved so successful they decided … Continue reading

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Album review: BIG BIG TRAIN – Grimspound

BIG BIG TRAIN - Grimspound

English Electric Recordings [Release date 28.04.17] www.bigbigtrain.com Following hot on the heels of last year’s excellent ‘Folklore’ album Big Big Train are back with another album featuring tales of national heroes, the countryside and family dramas. This album also sees … Continue reading

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Gig review: CROPREDY – Oxfordshire, 13-15 August 2015

Cropredy - Oxfordshire, 13-15 August 2015

My 21st consecutive year attending the festival and the event is so much more than the music.  Kids, once clinging to parents midway up the field, are now grown up and dancing at the front. Last year the festival had … Continue reading

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Gig review: FOTHERINGAY – Under The Bridge, London, 19 June 2015

FOTHERINGAY - Under The Bridge, London, 19 June 2015

The re-ascendancy of folk rock continues apace and unsurprisingly its antecedents are dusted down, peered at, prodded.  Most are faded, without light since the glory days of the early 70′s, some weathered but kicking hard at the traces. Scratch the … Continue reading

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News: LONELY ROBOT, FAIRPORT CONVENTION, LEAVE’S EYES – Thursday 19 March 2015

Lonely Robot

Lonely Robot, aka John Mitchell (It Bites/Arena), will record a new album later this year for release early next year. Leave’s Eyes have signed with AFM Records and release their new album later this year. Mr Big release a box … Continue reading

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News: THE POODLES, CROPREDY, WATCHET FESTIVAL – Tuesday 27 January 2015

Fairport Convention, Cropredy - 9 August 2014

The Poodles release their new album, ‘Devil In The Details’, in Japan in late March. No other release dates as yet. A new Starbreaker (Tony Harnell & Magnus Karlsson) album is due next year on Frontiers. Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK … Continue reading

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Gig review: CROPREDY, 7-9 August 2014 featuring STEVE HACKETT, MARILLION & FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Cropredy - 7 August 2014

It’s that time of year again when the time village of Cropredy opens its fields in preparation for the little party that Fairport Convention throws every year. Some 38 years ago they decided to have a shindig with 750 people … Continue reading

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Album review: RICHARD THOMPSON – Acoustic Classics

Richard Thompson - Acoustic Classics

Beeswing/Proper Records [Release date 21.07.14] Amazingly this is the first acoustic release (excluding live recordings) in over thirty years. This collection of his most famous songs newly recorded in acoustic form provides the perfect accompaniment to his solo acoustic shows. … Continue reading

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Album review: FAIRPORT CONVENTION – Moat On The Ledge

Fairport Convention - Moat On The Ledge

Eagle Rock [Released 24.03.14] Another good value 3-in-1 CD box set from Eagle Records that gathers together two live albums from Fairport Convention (who have had a lot of live albums released through the years!) and the band’s ‘XXXV’ studio … Continue reading

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Gig review: CROPREDY, 8-10 August 2013

Cropredy 2013

34 years ago, an English electric folk band played what was intended to be there final show in a field in Cropredy village, Oxfordshire. However, as the saying goes,  ‘best laid plans’,  a reunion tour was announced shortly after and … Continue reading

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Album Reviews: DODSON & FOGG – Dodson & Fogg,Derring Do,Sounds Of Day And Night

Dodson & Fogg

Wisdom Twins Records  [Released 2012/2013] wisdomtwinsbooks.weebly.com/dodson-and-fogg.html Despite having a name that sounds like an engineering firm making flanges for the automotive industry, Dodson & Fogg are essentially one person. His name is Chris Wade – a multi-instrumentalist par excellence who … Continue reading

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Album review: CHRIS WHILE AND JULIE MATTHEWS – Infinite Sky

Fat Cat Records [Release date 04.02.13] Chris While and Julie Matthews have been a musical partnership for 20 years, both as members of The Albion Band and as a multi instrumental duo. Julie has made her name as an award … Continue reading

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RICHARD THOMPSON – Electric

Proper Records (Released 11th February) http://proper-records.co.uk/richardthompson-electric/         Thompson returns with a new album and as the title suggests it is one of his electric albums. Recorded in Nashville with guitarist Buddy Miller producing (and playing), Thompson is … Continue reading

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