Fairport/Cropredy BBC4??

[Gouty (Gary)]

The Cropredy Bridge School Concert?  

[Red Shoes (Caz+Mark)]

Peggy rendition of Celtic Moon put me in mind of Neil Young,

What?  

Blimey, you wait till you get a load of Dylans version  

C x

[hendo (Dave)]

There was nothing wrong as such with the concert it was just dull, possibly due to venue, editing and choice of material by the programme makers

Or possibly the present fairports are now just dull? Discuss

[Henry Tompkins (Pete)]

There was nothing wrong as such with the concert it was just dull, possibly due to venue, editing and choice of material by the programme makers

Or possibly the present fairports are now just dull? Discuss

Oooooo - now that is a hot potato.   I think that I'd have to agree with that statement.  It's five old guys, chugging along, not doing anything vaguely groundbreaking or radical.  They are a million miles away from my listening tastes nowadays.  Having said that, I still go to Cropredy, see them on tours, buy a tee shirt, and sometimes even buy a 'new' cd.

You can't help but love them can you?

[Jim]

There was nothing wrong as such with the concert it was just dull, possibly due to venue, editing and choice of material by the programme makers

Or possibly the present fairports are now just dull? Discuss

well, the tours can be a bit samey at times but at cropredy they are anything but

[Jay Peter]

******g hell that's a bit rude isn't it? Dull? Couldn't you put it more constructively?

[hendo (Dave)]

There was nothing wrong as such with the concert it was just dull, possibly due to venue, editing and choice of material by the programme makers

Or possibly the present fairports are now just dull? Discuss

well, the tours can be a bit samey at times but at cropredy they are anything but

Hi Jim. As you know I loved fairports at Cropredy this yr but that was cos most of the time I was watching Pegg, Swarbrick.Nicol, Mattacks, Thompson.
Most reviewers, including those on this site, seem to agree that this yrs Fairports Cropredy set 'dipped' in the middle. That was the bit when the present line up was on stage.

[hendo (Dave)]

******g hell that's a bit rude isn't it? Dull? Couldn't you put it more constructively?

Ok. low key, polite, lacking energy and sparkle and trust me i have loved this band for yrs.

[Jay Peter]

******g hell that's a bit rude isn't it? Dull? Couldn't you put it more constructively?

Ok. low key, polite, lacking energy and sparkle and trust me i have loved this band for yrs.

Me too. I don't normally watch them now unless there are plenty of guests in prospect, preferably including Richard T. But what can you do? They are happy with their current style, and if we all carry on going to Crops, they're doing all right I suppose. It's just that "dull"  is such a quality judgement. There's still masses to admire and love about what they do. I agree with what somebody else said, the main problem I have with them nowadays is the quality of the vocals, but that's true of a lot of folk music.

[davidmjs]

I agree with what somebody else said, the main problem I have with them nowadays is the quality of the vocals, but that's true of a lot of folk music.

Agreed it wasn't a strong point on that particular showing, but personally I don't think the vocals are weak in the current band. I find the almost total lack of a 'rock' edge to any of the material, and my long held belief that Fairport need a fiddler in the band (not a violinist - I may be wrong, but I think I know the difference!) as much stronger arguments against the current incarnation.

And, I have (I'm sorry to say) used the 'D' word in my own reviews of seeing the current band in concert.  I enjoyed it for a few years after Chris joined (in fact I think I saw about his 3rd or 4th gig as a member), but tbh there's only so many versions of the same 'new Chris song' that I really want to hear.  Sorry.  I've not seen them live since 2009 now... and although I'd love to see them in a little local venue like at Hebden Bridge where they are playing in a couple of months, I'm really not that bothered about it anymore.  Which, given the 60+ (inc Cropredy appearances) times I saw the band from '82-'09 really upsets me greatly.

[hendo (Dave)]

******g hell that's a bit rude isn't it? Dull? Couldn't you put it more constructively?

Ok. low key, polite, lacking energy and sparkle and trust me i have loved this band for yrs.

Me too. I don't normally watch them now unless there are plenty of guests in prospect, preferably including Richard T. But what can you do? They are happy with their current style, and if we all carry on going to Crops, they're doing all right I suppose. It's just that "dull"  is such a quality judgement. There's still masses to admire and love about what they do. I agree with what somebody else said, the main problem I have with them nowadays is the quality of the vocals, but that's true of a lot of folk music.

Sorry about the dull. I suppose what I was trying to say is that I am rarely excited by the present line up. it just lacks attack for me. I have to accept that they are mainly a band in their sixties who are playing gentle mor acousticish 'folk'. Chris writes gentle acoustic songs. People were excited at Cropredy at RT's electric playing cos it had real energy.Of course i accept that the fairport incarnations I have loved over the yrs no longer exist  but I still want to support the band. Every time I go to see them I want to be energised but it becomes a polite, pleasant evening. As a sixty something myself i still want music and stage presence that hits me in the chest ( emotionally ,not necessarily volume). I have seen a lot of bands this yr who have done that.

[GubGub (Al)]

I love the fact that we can have this debate every 6 months or so!  

For what it is worth, I think they have shifted into tasteful pipe & slippers pleasantness as a live band for the last 15 years or so. I still enjoy them but they do not excite me the way they used to, Festival Bell however was a surprisingly sparky album for two thirds of its length and their best work for a decade and a half, But this is a decision they have consciously taken and are content with. Their age is no excuse as recent experiences of acts of similar and indeed greater vintage has proven to me,

[Jim]

******g hell that's a bit rude isn't it? Dull? Couldn't you put it more constructively?

Not rude at all, and i think it sums it up perfectly. I, too, have been a fan for over 40 years now and i cant count the number of times i have seen the band in most of its formats and while the musicianship cant be questioned the show on bbc was edited in a way that left out any spark of wit that any FC show has.
 The current line up has a hit certain groove(or rut) and can't or doesn't want to get out of it.

[greglin (Gregg)]

Agree wi' Jim - the word which came to mind when I watched the BBC gig was "flat".Watched part of it again just to be sure..........wasnae any better. I even played the JBL Live Cd this very evening and it had a bit of spark / balls about it.

[Neil]

If by dull you mean not the same as the lineup you love then yes would be the answer.

If they were truly dull then Festival Bell and some of the arrangements on By Popular Request would not have been as enjoyable. They are not ground breaking but they have not been ground breaking for many many years, even with Swarb in the band, but they can still be an exciting force live, although I admit I have not seen many wintours, well only only one at Crosby since Chris joined, and then I was too embarrassed at hearing my name to say hello.

The new lineup has less bluster and more substance than with Maart, not as fun as with Swarb and less risky than with Thompson but still a whole lot of fun live from the few Cropredy's I have been to. 2011 with less guests and Babbacombe Lee was one of my all time favourites.

Anyway it's only an opinion and dull is a perfectly good word to use.

Neil

[Ian W.]

A few of our gang commented that Simon seemed to be having more fun at Cropredy this year than he has had for a quite a few years, at both Cropredy and Wintours.

[RobertD]

I haven't seen the documentary or the concert yet so I cannot answer the discussion going on about this topic thread. However I have to raise my voice in regards to the strength of the current lineup....yes the lineup that has been together for (depending on when Gerry offically joined) for 12 years now, and something like 16 from when Chris joined.One needs to remember that Fairport has outlasted a lot of other bands during even that stretch of time. I love Fairport Convention, I admire and respect this band and I pretty much love damn near everything this band has ever done, or will continue to do. The marked difference between A Sense Of Occasion and Festival Bell IMHO should prove that this band does still have vitality, creativity, spark, and a willingness to continue making great music. So now the doubters are probably going to say, ok but I really dont like this or wish they would play more electric, or wish they could be like this lineup or that lineup....all fair points. People seeing the Nicol/Pegg/Sanders/Allcock/Mattacks lineup probably had the same nostalgic longing for the Swarb/Nicol/Pegg/Rowland lineup.....and on and on back into time to the original lineup. There has never been a band with as much story behind it as Fairport and I have never waivered in my admiration and liking for every era, this one being no exception. During moments like this I go back to what Simon himself said in the It All Comes 'Round Again documentary in his description of the Swarb/Nicol/Pegg/Rowland lineup. He said there were lots of critics around at the time who knocked it for being a bit slapdash, and a bit carefree. His answer was-"we made lots of friends then...we made lots of good music too." Thats the same now as it was then as far as Im concerned. As Al says its a continuing discussion and I say this only to put my two cents in as well.

[Jay Peter]

I haven't seen the documentary or the concert yet so I cannot answer the discussion going on about this topic thread. However I have to raise my voice in regards to the strength of the current lineup....yes the lineup that has been together for (depending on when Gerry offically joined) for 12 years now, and something like 16 from when Chris joined.One needs to remember that Fairport has outlasted a lot of other bands during even that stretch of time. I love Fairport Convention, I admire and respect this band and I pretty much love damn near everything this band has ever done, or will continue to do. The marked difference between A Sense Of Occasion and Festival Bell IMHO should prove that this band does still have vitality, creativity, spark, and a willingness to continue making great music. So now the doubters are probably going to say, ok but I really dont like this or wish they would play more electric, or wish they could be like this lineup or that lineup....all fair points. People seeing the Nicol/Pegg/Sanders/Allcock/Mattacks lineup probably had the same nostalgic longing for the Swarb/Nicol/Pegg/Rowland lineup.....and on and on back into time to the original lineup. There has never been a band with as much story behind it as Fairport and I have never waivered in my admiration and liking for every era, this one being no exception. During moments like this I go back to what Simon himself said in the It All Comes 'Round Again documentary in his description of the Swarb/Nicol/Pegg/Rowland lineup. He said there were lots of critics around at the time who knocked it for being a bit slapdash, and a bit carefree. His answer was-"we made lots of friends then...we made lots of good music too." Thats the same now as it was then as far as Im concerned. As Al says its a continuing discussion and I say this only to put my two cents in as well.

Spot on. The comparison with the Tippler's tale line-up had also occurred to me, since that was my first Fairport.* What rattled my cage about the dull debate is "Or possibly the present fairports are now just dull? Discuss" sounds to me like a personal attack on the individual people rather than a critical commentary on the musical direction. To use the modern expression they are what they are. It's (a very little bit) like calling Dylan "Judas" for going electric. That's what they do now, if you don't like it it's your problem, not theirs. Having said that, if they felt the need to get Rebecca Lovell and Rosie Carson in to liven things up I would be the first to applaud a bold new change of musical direction. Or Carly Frey.

*And why don't they do Jack O'Rion or John Barleycorn now?

[davidmjs]

yes the lineup that has been together for (depending on when Gerry offically joined) for 12 years now, and something like 16 from when Chris joined.

Gerry joined in 1998.

[Malcolm]

2008 Wintour. The stage lights dimmed, leaving only Chris in the spot.There then followed a truly amazing performance of Reynardine, which was repeated at that year's Cropredy I think. Spine tingling to hear Sandy's song so well treated and coming out of nowhere, to coin a phrase.

I have never enjoyed Simon's WKWTTG and cringe to hear Fotheringay. Please leave her songs to a female guest.