Much to the delight of fans and the band, Fairport Convention are back on the road again following the forced hiatus of the past year-and-a-half.
Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, and 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 Autumn Tour concert will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new, including their latest album ‘Shuffle & Go’, which was released in 2020. In the opening paragraph of David Kidman’s album review for Folk Radio, he spoke of their fresh approach to music, something which has remained a constant:
“Three swift years on from when Fairport’s 50th was celebrated, and they’re still making consistent music that never falls below the top-notch bracket, keeping it all fresh with regular touring activity and a steady flow of new material for stage and subsequently record. A tried-and-tested modus operandi that works for this most long-established of Fairport lineups, one that shows no sign of getting stale, instead, an astonishing, seemingly never-ending capacity for reinvention and reinvigoration.”
He later adds: the wonderful music on this album is firmly in what has come to be regarded as the “latter-day Fairport tradition”.
The upcoming tour will feature twelve dates, kicking off in Maidenhead on Thursday 14th October and concluding in Nuneaton on Saturday 30th October.
Fairport Convention have won a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, and Radio 2 listeners voted their groundbreaking 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.
The band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, and Gerry Conway on percussion.
Since last February, the band’s first show took place on Thursday 5th August at the Brasenose Pub in Cropredy. Although this was a limited capacity venue, the show was filmed and will be broadcasted free of charge on Saturday 14th August (when the band would usually be headlining their Fairport Cropredy Convention Festival, which has now been postponed to 2022). The show will be available to watch via their YouTube Channel here.
Fairport Convention Tour Dates
Thurs, 14th October 2021 – Maidenhead, Norden Farm
Fri, 15th October 2021 – Bewdley, Bewdley Festival
Sat, 16th October 2021 – Wells, Cathedral
Sun, 17th October 2021 – Stroud, The Sub Rooms
Tue, 19th October 2021 – Liverpool, The Music Room – SOLD OUT
Wed, 20th October 2021 – Northwich, The Plaza
Thurs, 21st October 2021 – Lavenham, Lavenham Church
Fri, 22nd October – Lowdham, Village Hall – SOLD OUT
Sat, 23rd October – Chipping Norton, Chipping Norton Theatre
Sun, 24th October – Tenbury Wells, Regal
Mon, 25th October – Pentyrch, Acapela Studios – SOLD OUT
Sat, 30th October – Nuneaton, Ragged Bear Festival
Details and ticket links via: www.fairportconvention.com