Fairport Convention – Wintour 2024: Live Review

By At The Barrier on 12th February 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

It all comes ’round again, as it says in the song, and if it’s February, then the thing that’s coming ’round is the Fairport Winter Tour. This year’s tour is a 30-date affair that kicked off on Tuesday 6th February at The Stables in Milton Keynes and is set to conclude on Sunday 10th March at Dudley Town Hall. This year’s special guests are acclaimed duo Plumhall.

As always, the At The Barrier team have packed their kit bags to drop in on the entourage as it makes its way around this country of ours…

We love the Fairport Convention Winter Tour for a number of very good reasons. It’s an annual reminder that spring isn’t too far away and it starts to put in motion the mechanism that edges inexorably towards Cropredy – one of the highlights of our year. But, most of all, it allows us to get up close and intimate with Fairport, enjoy some great music and revel in the quality of the support act that they introduce to us each year. This year, like every other, the At The Barrier team has mobilised, to bring you news of shows around the country.

We’re heading to several shows – John Barlass on the Southern side of the nation while Mike Ainscoe provides Northern coverage. Too get an early look-in at what the chaps are up to this year, we start in Essex for the show at The Palace Theatre, Southend-On-Sea, the second date of the tour.

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA

And, the big news from the opening dates of the tour is that Fairport were a man down! Rumours were circulating around the foyer of the Palace Theatre, even as our man John Barlass stepped through the door, that Simon Nicol – guitarist, vocalist and Fairport founder member, had been struck down (not for the first time…) by the dreaded COVID. How would Fairport fare? Startlingly well, as it happens, but we’ll get to that shortly…

Fairport always manage to select a bunch of charming venues for their tours; The Corn Exchange, Exeter, The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds, London’s Union Chapel, Stratford Playhouse and The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury are all delightful settings in which to enjoy an evening of our favourite music, and The Palace Theatre in Southend is yet another wonderful place. It might be stretching the point a little too far to start comparing it to a miniature version of the Buenos Aires Opera House, but it’s a beautiful theatre, nonetheless – compact and comfortable, with well-appointed boxes that make you wish you were important enough to occupy one.

As always, it’s Ric Sanders who gets the evening underway, this year with a sequence of shivery, soothing noises and a crib from the late Ronnie Barker, before moving on to introduce the tour’s guests, the delightful Plumhall.

Fairport have been undertaking this Winter Tour malarkey for over 40 years now, and, in all that time, their choice of opening act has been impeccable. A random sift-back through the years throws up such names as Kieran Halpin, Jay Turner, David Hughes, annA rydeR, Keith Donnelly & Flossie Malavialle, Edwina Hayes, Sally Barker and last year’s co-stars (and At The Barrier faves) Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage. Virtually all were new names when they were first announced, and all are now staples of our team’s record collections. The formula is the same every year – the opening act performs half a dozen of their songs before being joined by Fairport for their final number; it’s a formula that works wonderfully and no-one will be surprised to learn that it was used once again this year.

Plumhall have been making quite a name for themselves. They’re actually husband-and-wife singing/songwriting duo Michelle Plum and Nick B Hall (you can see where they get their name from, can’t you…?) Between them, they’ve amassed an impressive CV; Michelle has toured with Chumbawamba, Nick’s been on the road with Magna Carta and, together, they’ve appeared with Peter Tork and Al Stewart. They’ve recently released their third album, One Star Awake, a collection on which Fairport’s Ric Sanders makes a guest appearance, and, most importantly, the sound they make is heavenly. A pair of acoustic guitars is all the armoury required, because Michelle and Nick sing some of the sweetest harmonies that you’re ever likely to hear – he sings the melody, she hits the sky!

A setlist drawn mainly from the new album kicked off with Crystal Ball and right from the outset, those glorious harmonies hit the spot. I couldn’t help but compare Michelle’s vocal mannerisms with those of Joni Mitchell as the duo moved on to City Starlings, and, not for the first time during the opening half of a Winter Tour show, I wondered where on earth Fairport manage to find such acts.

There’s a lovely story behind the duo’s song, The Further Shore – it balances the sense of loss felt by those watching a boat disappear over a horizon with the sense of anticipation felt by those across the sea who see the same boat gradually appear, and the sentiments of that story are captured perfectly in lines like “You’re not gone forever, you’re just going out of port – and we know that we will meet again on that further shore.” And there’s a lot more to this duo than initially meets the eye – and ears!

They wrote their song, Closing Down for the 2018 Richard Heap-directed movie, The Runaways (they also curated the folk music used in the film and even took on a couple of acting roles) and tonight’s rendition of the song was awesome. This time, I was reminded of Simon & Garfunkel as the harmonies, once again, hit the spot, and Plumbhall had the whole theatre singing along.

Nick came clean and admitted to having been a Fairport fan since he was first taken to see the band at Masham Town Hall back in 1992, so he was undoubtedly looking forward to welcoming his heroes to the stage, which he duly did after running through Uniondale, a song from the duo’s debut album, Thundercloud – an album that they’ve recently made available in digital format via bandcamp – see below.

Fairport, minus the sicknoted Simon, joined their opening act in the time-honoured way for Plumbhall’s final number, One Star Awake – the title track of their last album. Ric played fiddle on the album version of the song and he reprised that part magnificently to help conclude a thoroughly enjoyable set. Plumhall will be back at The Palace Theatre in October and I confidently expect that many of those in tonight’s audience will be firing up their laptops in search of tickets. And, I also sense that you’ll be reading a lot more about Plumhall in these pages in future…

And, so, to Fairport. Simon’s absence was acknowledged right at the start, as Ric, clad in his faithful Grateful Dead tee-shirt, suggested that, as the band were a man down, they were willing to offer a refund… or 20% of a refund, as he considered to be more appropriate. I doubt that there were any takers.

Simon had apparently attended the soundcheck but had decided that he really wasn’t well enough to perform. A few adjustments to the evening’s setlist were made and, whilst the join was visible, it wasn’t overly so and Fairport soldiered on admirably. OK – Peggy may have forgotten that he’d drawn the straw to sing Simon’s opening lines to Walk Awhile, but it was all great fun and, as Chris pointed out, “A unique version of the song, that you’ll never hear again!” They’d certainly settled by the time that Chris stepped forward to deliver a stunning vocal for My Love Is In America, and they were relaxed enough for Chris to urge the audience sing along loudly enough to Year Of ’59 to “Let Simon hear you from his ‘poorly bed.'”

Ric’s comedy routine was somewhat curtailed this time around. His recollection of playing the Dr. Who theme with his sometime colleague Vo Fletcher at a recent Dr. Who Convention (with 7th Doctor Sylvester McCoy playing spoons on Ric’s head) was entertaining and, whilst Ric’s favourite LDS dyslexia joke has been round the block a few times, his reference to Trip Advisor raised a good laugh – and DM’s ‘Michael Miles’ organ flourishes are always welcome!

Portmeirion (that’s where the comedy bits were leading to…) was dedicated to recent Cropredy sensation Rosalie Cunningham – apparently in the evening’s audience. Simon’s acoustic guitar was missed, but the guys filled in the gaps so well and the tune evoked, as it never fails to, the sounds of a swishing tide and gently shuffling shingle. And I always love to hear Fairport play Festival Bell – as well as providing Peggy with an opportunity to give the forthcoming Cropredy Festival a plug (although too soon to plug the ATB Cropredy ticket quiz compo...), it gives the audience that chance to join in with the one-word chorus (which they did, with real enthusiasm – and not prematurely). I’m sure that most readers will be aware that the song commemorates the installation of the Fairport Festival Bell in the tower of St. Mary’s Church in Cropredy in 2009; the bell now gives Fairport the chance to claim, with cast-brass justification, that in at least one way, they’re “heavier than Black Sabbath…”

I reckon that Moondust And Solitude, Chris’s tribute to Michael Collins – the astronaut who stayed aboard the command module whilst his Apollo 11 colleagues Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the moon’s surface for the first lunar landing – is his best-ever song. Certainly, it’s a song that I’ve used many times to convert hitherto Fairport virgins to the cause, and I’m sure that Chris achieved that same result with any such people in tonight’s audience. It’s a difficult song to follow, but Fairport managed it by taking us to the interval with a well-reconstructed version of the epic Sloth. Again, Simon’s presence was missed, and, again, the boys filled in admirably, particularly Chris, who played some lovely parts on his 4-string guitar. Peggy’s bass solo was choppy and typically adept and, if you’re thinking of popping along to one of the shows, make sure that you look out for DM’s cymbal work during Ric’s violin solo.

And it was DM who got the second half of the show underway by introducing, first, himself (“Hello – my name’s Dave and I’m from the 1940s…”) and then the band. In a bit of clever thinking (which also raised a few laughs from the audience) he’s chosen to reproduce Gerry Conway’s exquisite percussion intro to Chris’s cardshark anthem, Don’t Reveal My Name, by strapping a garland of bells – a la Morris dancer – around his ankle. And it worked. Don’t Reveal My Name is another song that I’m pleased to see making its return to the Fairport repertoire – it’s always been a particular favourite.

Chris Leslie is, of course, a long-term upholder of the Morris tradition in his home village of Adderbury, and he was proud to recount how the tradition has thrived in recent years – the village now hosts no less than three teams – in his introduction to The Happy Man. And the Morris connection was explored further, when the band moved on to Shuffle & Go, the title track of their splendid 2020 album. The song was inspired when Chris discovered that, underneath their bells and baldrics, some of the Bampton Morris men he was watching as a child, had teddy-boy quiffs in their hair and were evidently off to seek a more raucous form of musical entertainment, once their Morris shifts had been completed. It all went well tonight but, as Peggy admitted, “We didn’t know how to stop that one last night…”

It was hinted that I’m Already There, Chris’s enduring story-song of the Franklin Expedition, was one of the songs drafted into the set at the last minute as a result of Simon’s absence. If that’s the case, then, perhaps, we who were present in Southend were the lucky ones. Chris’s vocal was, once again, exemplary and Peggy demonstrated, with his fluid basslines, that he’s exactly the right man to have around if your guitarist falls ill. And Weightless, from the 2015 Myths And Heroes album and written by leading Excalibur project participant, James Wood, was a genuine surprise – a true ‘deep dive:’ – keep them coming!

I’d never be silly enough to under-rate what a depleted Fairport is capable of, but I have to admit to being ‘gobsmacked’ by the way they tackled Dirty Linen. Chris covered Simon’s parts as well as his own, and it’s clear, even if you were previously unaware, that Peggy is a surrogate lead guitarist – albeit playing a lead guitar that has five thick strings. It was superb. Chris’s self-effacing introduction to Devil’s Work doesn’t cut any ice with those of us who know just how skilled he is with a hammer and chisel, but it’s a great tune, nevertheless, and I love DM’s thuds during the La Rotta passage.

And, so to John Gaudie, a song capable of gracing any stage from the humblest folk club to the rowdiest festival. It never fails to excite, and it always reminds me of that point at the climax to the Cropredy Saturday night when the lights across the top of the stage illuminate the crowd.

John Gaudie is always an indication that a Fairport show is drawing towards its close, but tonight was a climax with a difference. No Simon = No Matty Groves, but we were in for a real treat nevertheless. It was “almost unrehearsed” according to Ric, but the performance of Who Knows Where The Time Goes, with Michelle Plum back onstage to take the lead vocal was simply breathtaking. What a voice! Do it every night of the tour! Do it at Cropredy! It was a revelation – the real high point of an excellent evening.

And Plumhall weren’t finished yet. As Meet On The Ledge was announced, Nick commented “I know that one!” ”Good,” replied Peggy, “You’re singing it!” And a fine job he made of it too – it was beautiful, and it was different. Get well soon, Simon – the lads missed you, but I suspect that you’ll be pleased to know that they still scored 10/10.

LIVERPOOL

Making the diversion from the usual stop off at The Atkinson in Southport, the Fairports made their debut at the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, home of the Tung Auditorium. For the record, opened a couple of years ago by Yoko herself and i a rather nice venue it is too and not dissimilar to The Atkinson for anyone who’s had to cross postcodes. It’s also Dave Pegg’s favourite city in the world – and while cynics may think he says that on all the tour stops (even East Grinstead?), you get the impression that with the musical heritage that pervades the city, it’s actually true.

Tonight, Simon is back after his brief absence and the band is back up to its full complement – the fabulous Fairport Five – but first up, the support from Plumhall is (as has been pointed out) another inspired choice. Whether the last couple of very excellent tour supports, Luke Jackson and Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage would have dipped into a song that’s introduced as “a bit of Folk Metal” though…?? Jesting aside, given some electric guitars and maybe DM stepping up to the kit, the genre hop might not be as far-fetched as you’d imagine.

While the Southend comparison referenced Joni and Simon & Garfunkel, to different eyes and ears, there’s more of a Buckingham Nicks memory jogger, particularly with some of the intense and intricate picking on Uniondale and as the FC Five join in for their final number, One Star Awake, the assemblage on stage resembles a folky version of the E Street Band with Ric replacing the iconic Big Man sax with some stirring fiddle. It also helps that Nick is in ‘Boss’ black; shirt sleeves rolled up like a working man, a sure sign of meaning business as the song rolls on and out.

And while Nick and Michelle take their leave for the FC five to plough on with the usual Walk Awhile, the Nicol-less set from earlier in the week gets thoroughly tweaked as they dip into the legacy once Walk… is dusted off. There could well have been a suppression of sharp intakes of breath and open-mouthed gasps or perhaps just silent shock as they announce Genesis Hall and pack the first set with Hawkwood’s Army and Sir William Gower, as Simon references the 57 years of music making. The setlist choices from the band filters a top class selection of deep-ish cuts returning to the set,. The “bird’s eye view from one of Hawkwood’s Army” acting as a searing reminder of why Fairport are unavoidably cited as the Folk Rock daddies. The power trio of Nicol, Pegg & Mattacks in the centre, flanked by the rustic folk fiddle and mandolin as they belt out the stirring clarion call of the mercenary crew.

Of course, Festival Bell allows Peggy the regular chance to remind us that “we have our own f***ing bell” while warning against any premature “Jack!“s (he’s surely a reader of Viz Comic…) and giving a lighter contrast to the weight of the first set. It fits neatly with The Happy Man (with the option of Morris dancing and singing at the same time) that’s simply about having a great time with your friends. Bringing the balance back, Crazy Man Michael sees what Simon talks of as the blurring of the lines as FC made it their mission to find the common ground between the traditional and the contemporary version of this thing called tradition before I’m Already There thankfully retains its slot. It gives the chance to showcase on a couple of occasions, Ric’s rather jaunty reel from the fiddle that sees the song spring to life and take off before being brought down with a carefully worked, sudden ending.

With the band back in full force, we sadly miss the Southend folk thunder of John Gaudie, but Matty is back for the traditional Matty/Ledge finale and as a special surprise (or maybe not so – like the old question of whether Ritchie Blackmore or Pete Townshend were going to destroy a guitar in the encore) we get the ‘Ikea curtains’ variant.

The feeling from watching Fairport in Liverpool, is that they’ve built a set here to be seen again. Some major numbers form the spine, being worked up into the muscle memory to, presumably, create the basis of this year’s Cropredy set, and luckily we’re going to do it all again in Manchester tomorrow.

MANCHESTER

The Royal Northern College of Music is a regular stop on the Wintour. Just a hop and skip from Rusholme and the call of the Curry Mile, like Walk Awhile and Matty Groves, it’s probably one of the first names on the list when it comes to tour scheduling.

The fact that we’re bang in the heart of a music college doesn’t go unnoticed. Nick Hall is keen to make absolutely sure he’s in tune and even Peggy admits to feeling a “bit scared” in a place where all the staff are amazing musicians and practice for ages (“like we used to do”). Even Simon owns up to the music college being an unaccustomed environment for them! That’s hardly fair, the self deprecation a cover for the fact that those young and highly gifted music students could do well to watch and learn from a bunch of seasoned pros.

Plumhall mark the occasion with a couple of nods to Mancunian culture – they have a ‘new order’ to the setlist and Michelle refers to Nick as a ‘charming man’. It could be that Michelle’s fashionably wide flares also pay tribute to Tim Booth (of James) and his baggy look – although we suspect not.

Tonight we note how their ‘film song’ Closing Down contrasts starkly with their role in the movie where their brief role saw them take on the guise of drunken folk musicians. It’s as far a drunken/rowdy folk song as you can possibly imagine as delicacy and sentiment combine on this song and sit alongside with Nick’s ghost obsessions (…”spooky song….”) and the chance to get ahead of the game by bagging a ‘not yet in the shops’ copy of the new album. Probably worth the price of admission is another rollicking send-off with One Star Awake that ends their all too brief set that hopefully provided the sort of amuse bouche that will have followers of the Wintour heading their way in due course.

And having had the taster in Liverpool, we’re set for another round to observe more closely how the Fairports have stirred the pot for this Wintour. Again, the first set gives the chance to admire the fire of Hawkwood’s Army with Simon retaining the electric guitar while Dave Mattacks Bonhamesque hi-hat stands out in Sir William Gower. The latter becomes an interesting tune to watch, taking a moment to absorb what each instrument – the bass, mandolin and fiddle – is doing, seemingly doing its own thing in its own little world, and then how it all comes together. A set that includes these two, plus Genesis Hall and a Sanders-fired Sloth (and that’s just before the interval) is the sort of make up that would score highly in a Fairport fantasy setlist league.

We commented afetr the last appearance in Manchester how Sloth takes off when Ric Sanders heads into one of his musical trances where the fiddle breaks loose of the largely ponderous tempo. He’s at it again, making the most of his pedal board and doing the sort of extreme things to his fiddle that Heston Blumenthal does to food. The finale to his psychedelic tripping sees his instrument planted on his face like some bizarre scene from Alien as the banshee wails echo around the auditorium. As the final song of the first set, you can understand why a break is needed.

With several epics dusted off, and some yet to come, the second half rings the changes as those classic Fairport set pieces are punctuated with a selection of less intense yet more genre hopping fare. On the journey from the swampy Don’t Reveal My Name, to Morris, traditional Folk (no Ikea curtains tonight) and Doo Wop, we get a series of Chris Leslie songs that see him doing for Banbury (and Oxfordshire) what Seth Lakeman does for Dartmoor and endearing himself to the Oxford tourism industry while also following the Nicol/Pegg lead and like us, plugging the Cropredy Convention.

We’re never too far from an instrumental or two. Ric’s Steampunkery has him reminding us “now that’s exactly how to play the drums,” highlighting the prowess of his partner in comical banter, while also spotlighting that it’s also “exactly how to play the mandolin, the bass and the guitar” and how fortunate he has such a band to help play his tunes. As Polly On The Shore gives way to The Hiring Fair, another major song (thanks Ralph McTell) is given a masterful reading and like the opening and closing structure of the set, ensures that there’s a rock-solid spine that runs through the selection.

Simon’s notes in the tour programme where he writes about Fairport being good at what they do because they work hard at it is no idle boast. And once that’s in place, they can also enjoy it. It’s going to be a blast to hear some of these pieces belted out through the huge PA at Cropredy in August.