And the bus just keeps rolling along – this time with the aid of the Portsmouth-Fishbourne car ferry. It’s Saturday 25th October and Fairport are paying their first visit to the Isle of Wight in nine years. At The Barrier was there to help welcome the Folk/Rock World Champions back to Vectis.

FAIRPORT BY BOAT

This wasn’t the first time that At The Barrier has crossed water to enjoy a Fairport Convention concert; that particular feat was previously accomplished back in July 2022, when we were privileged to join the band on their inaugural Rhine Cruise. Nowadays, Fairport are, of course, old hands at the cruise business but, it seems, they’re less familiar with the common or garden car ferry – their show at the Isle of Wight’s swish Medina Theatre represented Fairport’s first performance on the island since 2016. And the islanders were delighted to be able to welcome the band back!

The Isle of Wight features significantly in the Fairport legend, for it was here (well, just down the road from Newport – in the village of Godshill) that Fairport serenaded the rising sun on the morning of 1st September, 1968 at The Great South Coast Holiday Pop Festival – aka the first Isle of Wight Festival. Fairport’s set at that long-ago event was described in the music press as ‘majestic.’ So some things don’t change; Simon Nicol remains within the band’s ranks, Fairport are still “Not a tribute act” and their performances are still ‘majestic.’

HAND-EMBROIDERED GREEN LOON PANTS…

The Medina Theatre wasn’t quite full, but the attendance was healthy and, even if there was the odd vacant seat around the place, there was no absence of enthusiasm. That much was evident from the outset as Fairport launched into Walk Awhile, back as the favoured set-opener after a short break. Ric’s fiddle intro to Crazy Man Michael received an appreciative round of applause; it’s a song that has matured with the band and, tonight, it was performed perfectly. Simon’s vocal delivery is so very respectful and Chris’s whistle solo is beautiful.

Chris’s home town of Banbury is another locale that looms prominently in the Fairport annals – it’s proximity to Cropredy makes sure of that – and the town features equally prominently in the band’s current setlist, as it pops up in no less than three songs. Banbury Fair, the first of the triumvirate, was edged back into the Fairport live repertoire for last year’s Autumn Tour and it’s good to see that it’s retained its place. It’s one of Chris’s (of course), from the 1999 album, The Wood and the Wire. Chris’s introduction describes his love for the chaos that would ensue whenever the annual Autumn Fair took over Banbury Market Place, and he speaks with nostalgic pride as he recalls donning his hand-embroidered green loon pants (younger readers should consult a grandparent…) for his entry to the fairground.

A 1950s SCI-FI MOVIE WITH A ‘DOO-WOP’ CHORUS

The mention of Banbury had raised a cheer from the audience – a response that wasn’t lost on Simon, as he shifted our attention to a locality some 35 miles to the northeast of that town – to the Northamptonshire village of Fotheringhay where, in 1587, the condemned Mary Queen of Scots spent her last summer. Sandy Denny had written (and mis-spelt) Fotheringay before she’d even joined the ranks of Fairport and it’s one of the many songs that she wrote that has withstood the grueling test of time. Fairport’s current arrangement of the song includes a hauntingly beautiful harmony violin duet from Ric and Chris, and Peggy’s well-crafted bassline completes the string quartet feel.

But, we were soon back on the bus to Banbury for the second of the evening’s songs to celebrate the happenings in around the old market town. Described as “… a 1950s sci-fi movie with a doo-wop chorus,” Chris’s Year of ’59 has become a nailed-on crowd pleaser and, tonight, it worked its magic once again. Chris is always at pains to point out that the sighting of a UFO above Banbury in 1959 became the subject of a 2-page spread in the town’s weekly newspaper, The Banbury Guardian – an honour that – as Peggy never fails to report – has also been bestowed upon Fairport. And, yes, the audience did “doo-wop.”

A WELCOME RETURN OF A WONDERFUL SONG

Picked up by Simon as he toured the folk clubs along with Dave Swarbrick during the early 1980s, Rosemary’s Sister – a song written by Fairport conspirator Huw Williams – is simply gorgeous, and it’s fantastic to have it back in the repertoire. I think that I’m correct in saying that the song made its first appearance from a Fairport stage when Simon performed it through his onstage monitor during the famous Cropredy 1986(?) Pretty Damn Cosmic power outage. Or did I just dream that? Whatever – it’s a song that Simon always plays so very well; the sympathy in his voice is palpable and the dual violins are the perfect accompaniment to his fingerpicked guitar.

And then? Back to Banbury once more…

Chris always sings the opening lines to I’m Already There – a standout track from 2004’s Over the Next Hill – acapella, before the band come in, one-by-one, on their respective instruments. His delivery of the song is always, too, laced with passion and, tonight, the song was performed as dramatically as ever, earning one of the evening’s strongest ovations.

TRANSPORTED…

It just wouldn’t be a Fairport show without a comedy interlude from Ric… Introduced by Peggy as: “Resident of Bloxham and regular in The Elephant and Castle,” Ric stepped forward to deliver a few oldies and goldies: “We’ve not got roadies, we’ve got carers,” “I’m approaching 73 – but from the wrong direction” and the marvelous: “I was in a band called Missing Cat. You might have seen our posters…” It was all a prelude to the vibrant Steampunkery, Ric’s instrumental showpiece from Shuffle and Go, Fairport’s most recent studio album. It’s a tune that allows Ric to revive the spirit of Stephane Grappelli, whilst Simon duly rises to the Django Reinhardt challenge with his guitar accompaniment; Chris chips in with a mandolin solo whilst Peggy, as ever, provides the rock-solid foundation.

“We’ve discovered, over the years, that it’s good to have an interval. It’s a good idea if you have one too, and it’s even better if we all come back,” quipped Peggy, before the band closed the first half of the show with a warming version of Cropredy fave, Hiring Fair. OK, there was no harvest moon peeping over Simon’s right shoulder, but a hefty dose of Cropredy magic seeped into the Medina Theatre as Ric played his uplifting fiddle solo. For a few wonderful moments, we were transported back into our favourite Oxfordshire field.

MORE METAL THAN SABBATH!

And, yes, we came back – and so did Fairport.

Cropredy attendees will be aware that, by regulation, the festival must be kicked off, at 16:00 on the first day, by Fairport Acoustic’s rendition of Festival Bell. The song tells the story of the church bell that, in 2009, was cast in Fairport’s name to replace a bell that had chimed in the tower of St Mary’s Church in Cropredy village for the previous 300 years (and, next time that you’re in Cropredy, pop into the church and have a look at the photo collage that marks the band’s attendance at the bell’s inauguration). The Medina audience played its lusty part by joining in the one-word chorus, and I loved Peggy’s recollection of Ozzy Osbourne’s reaction when he heard the bell story – “Blimey, Peggy, Fairport have got more metal than Sabbath…!”

Over the years, Steve Tilston has contributed several great songs to the Fairport canon and, just maybe, Slip Jigs and Reels is the best of the lot. As Simon is wont to point out, the song contains neither reel or slip jig, but Steve’s lyrics do reflect the traditions of the lead character’s homeland. And the song is always welcome when it’s dusted down and performed.

REVIVED FAVOURITES

And Banks of the Sweet Primroses is yet another enduring Fairport favourite. The three-part vocal harmonies that made me prick up my ears when I first played the Angel Delight album were present and correct, Chris’s vocal delivery did Swarb proud – as did Ric’s violin solo. The song was dedicated to Golden Wedding celebrants Maggie and Dave Preston, who must have been thrilled to receive such an endearing gift.

I suspect that even Ralph McTell would admire Simon’s ragtime intro to Bankruptured – the tune that Peggy wrote in anticipation of an approaching Fairport financial meltdown that was, fortunately, dodged. And Peggy’s bassline has to be heard to be believed… And, for a native of one of England’s most inland towns, Chris Leslie sure does write some good songs about the sea. In fact, Lala Rookh is a co-write with ex-Fairporter Maartin Allcock, to which Chris added lyrics to Maart’s tune. The song is a deep-dive into Fairport’s back-catalogue that was revived a couple of years ago and which has, thankfully stuck around.

SPIRIT OF SHETLAND

I’m regularly amazed by how well Dr of Physick – one of the heavier offerings from Fairport’s 1970 classic Full House album – works in its pared-back, acoustic format. Written by, as Simon put it: “Two ‘coves’ who used to be in the band together,” it’s probably been around long enough now (55 years) to qualify as a ‘traditional’ song, and the Doctor certainly worked his magic with it tonight. But, as Simon warns, audiences should assume the ‘brace’ position for the full-fat version of the song, to be performed when DM returns to these shores for Fairport’s forthcoming Spring Tour.

Newport, Isle of Wight, is, as Chris pointed out, just about as far from Shetland as it’s possible to be, within the British Isles. But the spirit of Shetland was well and truly with us for the invigourating John Gaudie and the Medina audience loved it.

POIGNANCY

“A song that gathers poignancy with every year that passes – particularly years with a ‘0’ on the end,” said Simon as he introduced the wonderful Who Knows Where the Time Goes (as a recently-qualified septuagenarian, I’ll definaetly vouch for that…). It’s well-documented that Sandy wrote the song whilst she was still a teenager, yet its relevance seems to snowball with each passing year, and tonight’s performance of the song was as beautiful, reflective and respectful as ever.

Who Knows… is always the signal that a Fairport show is reaching its end, and so it was tonight. Matty was once again caught in flagrante, before Peggy used lack of insurance coverage to excuse his reluctance to leave the stage, just to return for the inevitable, enduring encore. “About ten-to-midnight on 10th August next summer, we’ll all be singing this together,” said Simon and so, we fervently hope, we shall. More friends have been blown off the mountain by the wind this year, most notably, perhaps, the great Danny Thompson and Meet on the Ledge remains our opportunity to pay our heartfelt tribute to those absent friends. The song won the band a thoroughly deserved standing ovation.

MORE TO COME…

The Fairport bus rolls on. At The Barrier are pleased to have caught Autumn Tour shows in Bury and Newport. And haven’t finished yet – we’ll also be at the Tung Auditorium in Liverpool on 2nd November for the final gig of the tour and, if you haven’t yet managed to catch a show yourself, tickets are still available for concerts in Pentrych, Stroud, Ludlow, Maidenhead and Lowdham. Check out Fairport’s website via the link below for more details.

See you all in the Spring! See you all at Cropredy!

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