FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
7 May 2006

Fairport Convention are as much an institution as a band. Formed over thirty years ago, they continue to reinvent themselves and find new directions to take their music in; this being directly opposed to the current fashion for exhuming aged rock stars and having them perform exactly what they did thirty years ago - usually with a damn sight less technique and certainly less energy.

My favourite ever folk rock album is the Fairports' 'Liege and Lief', which featured the incomparable Sandy Denny. Typically, tonight's gig didn't feature a single song from that album. If you want a greatest hits show don't go and see Fairport as the band is, as it always was, moving forward.

Tonight's Fairport incarnation consisted of Simon Nicol on vocals and guitar, Rick Sanders on fiddle, Chris Leslie on mandolin and fiddle and Gerry Conway on percussion. The absolutely packed Brewery Arts Centre was treated to a mix of English Folk Tunes, both traditional and contemporary songs and even some Hot Club type gypsy jazz.

Apart from the magical instrumental playing, what really impressed me was the atmospheric and sometimes haunting arrangements of the songs. "I'm Already There" written by Chris Leslie is a great example, as is "The Fossil Hunter" (also composed by Chris) where he also plays a mean native american flute. Simon Nicol's version of Ralph McTell's "The Hiring Fair" was another wonderful arrangement and a high point of the concert for me.

All in all, if you think folk music is in any way staid, hidebound or any other cliche you care to pick, you owe it to yourself to see Fairport if at all possible. If you really can't get along to a concert then the next best is to buy the live CD "Off The Desk" which is exactly as described. No edits, no remixes, just exactly what was played. That also just about sums up the band, no nonsense, no pretension and if they stopped enjoying playing they would give up tomorrow.

A note about attending concerts at the Brewery is that it gets boiling hot so make sure you wear something cool. Also the seats are excrutiatingly uncomfortable so maybe a cushion would be of help. I would like to thank Gareth James for doing the driving, being an excellent companion and having a lot of the ideas expressed above.

Paul Duerden
9 May 2006