Coastal Events brings us a legendary band –
Fairport Convention
arrive at the De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill on 20th February
What can be said about this band that hasn’t already been said?
Fairport Convention have been in existence for over fifty years, and I well remember, during the late sixties and early seventies, the original line up and subsequent line ups reinventing folk music and pioneering the Folk-Rock tradition.
Fairport Convention at Cropredy Festival
Early members tended to gradually spin off and form new bands such as Ian Mathew’s Southern Comfort, the legendary Sandy Denny’s Fortheringay, Ashley Hutchings’ Steeleye Span and Judy Dyble’s Trader Horne, all as innovative as the creative crucible they sprang from.
The legendary Sandy Denny and Fotheringay circa 1970
Iain Matthews
There were also many musicians from the band who went on to further successful creative pastures such as Richard Thompson, Dave Swarbrick, drummers Dave Mattacks and Gerry Conway and many more.
Richard Thompson
Meanwhile, founder member Ashley Hutchings has been firmly ensconced during all the line-up changes, and previous members often turn up and play at concerts, especially at Fairport’s own annual festival, now entering its forty-first year, at Cropredy near Banbury in Oxfordshire. Any Fairport gig is a treat and usually contains some surprises. Not to be missed!
Visit coastalevents.co.uk for further information
image at top: Fairport Convention 2008. Left to right: Gerry Conway, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Ric Sanders, Chris Leslie
