Fairport Convention – The Tung Auditorium, Liverpool: Live Review

Mike Ainscoe

5 months ago

Fairport Convention, Danny Bradley – The Tung Auditorium, Liverpool – Sunday 2nd November 2025

It’s the final gig of a 24 date tour. The six days on, one day off routine shows how hard these guys work, but to end on a high, it’s Liverpool and the excellent Tung, it’s Peggy’s birthday AND there’s a special guest…

…DANNY BRADLEY…

…The opening act on their earlier tour of ’25 makes a special appearance as he lives in Liverpool! Making the most of a gig he can walk to and bearing in mind Liverpool wasn’t on the Spring schedule, plus FC love him – it’s a no brainer.

Anyone who saw the Spring tour will be familiar with Danny’s light touch and delicate songcraft. Maybe even more so having had the chamnce to purchase and absorb Small Talk Songs. The way he steps back from the mic to move into the music feels like observing the grace of a ballet dancer at work (meant as a compliment should anyone…). Alongside the tale of the wonderfully named Timothy Carlisle (that never fails to raise a smile) and the ‘busking for hen parties’ nod, I Know Fire is given a more forceful delivery before he does “an Irish traditional thing.” The latter unaccompanied before he diverts into a lovely little guitar jig.

A return of sorts to the Winter format, for his final song, Danny brings on his backing band. A well known four piece beat combo who remain to entertain for the rest of the evening. There’s a light hearted moment as Simon Nicol “(“l’ll just place this …here”) finds Danny’s album on his seat, inadvertently giving it another plug.

FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Not without a tinge of ‘end of tour’ sadness, do Fairport play out their two sets. After an earlier encounter at The Met, and a more in depth appraisal of the Newport, IOW gig, there are still tweaks happening in the set which mean there’s a method in the madness to getting to a couple of shows an a tour. Nowhere else, for example, have the guys done Happy Birthday… A one off for the gent in the ‘Vintage’ T shirt bearing a fine blue rosette – just like a political campaigner might have once worn.

The birthday boy in is a jolly/jollier mood although there’s an element of serious business to be done. One that sees any number of referrals tothe Fairport family and associates who make FC much more than the current four, sometimes five, guys who play the songs on stage. Regular nods to their legacy and repertoire inevitably namecheck Sandy Denny and Simon has spoken particularly eloquently of his memories of her which are so enlightening. And of course there are her songs.

Simon speaks of his pride and privilege to sing Who Knows Where The Time Goes seems especially poignant tonight. A song amongst many that conjure and retain a powerful presence and spirit that continues to fuel and drive Fairport. The wider family includes songwriters and friends, Ralph McTell and Steve Tilston, and sorely missed band members, Allcock and Swarbrick who we can all feel in the room via their songs.

REVELATIONS!

’25 has also been tour of (for some) assorted revelations. Tonight, Peggy celebrates not only his birthday but the anniversary of the exact date that he first saw Fairport. He recalls thinking: “I’ve got to join that group!” Adding, “look where it ended up...” Of course there’s Mr Nicol adding the “be careful what you wish for…” aside. The two stalwarts of Fairport, flanked by those masters of their instrument (or in Chris’ case, plural), Ric Sanders and the serene calm of Chris Leslie.

What else? Well, apparently, Slip Jigs And Reels contains neither (which may be news to some) and Ric reveals that his ponytail is actually attached to his hat. Look out for the sanders retail opportunity on Blackpool prom, “We never drink when we’re playing...” might be a little tongue in cheek (it could have been Vimto…) from Peggy and although in a hundred years time, Fairport might not be around (unless someone has passed the baton), the Cropredy Festival Bell will. Oh, and apparently, Simon ‘knows stuff’ about Naval archaeology. “But that’s another story.“

A LOVE OF GIGGING

As we get towards the end, we recall Simon writing a Why I Love on our pages – why I love gigging. It seems ever more apparent that he genuinely doesn’t want to leave the stage with his bandmates and “head off to quiet corners and have a good scream,” in the traditional manner at the end of a tour. It’s a sincere and unaffected fondness for what he does and what it means to him.

And to a lot of other people too judging by the number of dates – the vast majority all told (someone will have the figures) – posting ‘sold out’ notices. It only remains for Fairport Convention to be immortalised in Lego.