FAIRPORT CONVENTION

VENUE ROYAL NORTHERN COLLEGE OF MUSIC, MANCHESTER

DATE 02/02/2019

As the show begins, Fairport’s ageless fiddle man Ric Sanders ambles out and says, “It’s great to be here. Though, when you get to our age, it’s great to be anywhere.” His gift for lovable Christmas cracker jokes is matched by his supreme folk talent. However, there is something salutary in this remark: Fairport have been active for 52 years. Even if they can’t go on forever, it’s hard not to want them to. As they evidence in the odd environs of the Royal Northern’s second stage, their live gifts remain remarkable and compelling.

Arguably, the stage set-up has a negative impact on the early part of the performance. The Lower Hall has banked seating around an unraised stage area, and audiences look down on performers as if they were 19th-century surgeons. At one point Simon Nicol remarks, “You all seem far away. I keep expecting the floor to disappear and a pool with synchronised singers to emerge.” While the audience take a little warming-up, after Nicol’s comment, the music, the band banter, and the audience begin to work as one.

The two sets contain some stunning highlights. Set one concludes with a rare outing for Stuart Marson’s beautiful Close To The Wind, and there’s an astringent version of Hawkwood’s Army. Tributes to Cropredy abound, including Sanders’ beautiful Jonah’s Oak and a singalong version of Summer By The Cherwell.

But it’s the second set that truly dazzles. Audience favourite Walk Awhile is followed by Dave Pegg’s instrumental Bankruptured and Chris Leslie’s moving tribute to the moon landings, Moondust And Solitude. Early Fairport is well represented with Journeyman’s Grace and The Deserter, but the combination of Dirty Linen and Honour And Praise is jaw-droppingly brilliant. Pegg reminds us that, in 1971, Fairport performed a souped-up version of the former. He reckons they’ll be slower now. But that’s all to the good; it’s cleaner and clearer, showcasing their virtuoso talent.

The set closes with Matty Groves, before an encore of Meet On The Ledge. While Matty Groves has been performed live more often than any other Fairport song, rarely can it have been treated to a Deliverance-style banjo makeover. Some things never change – Pegg’s penchant for lurid shirts, for instance – but the Fairports continue to evolve in fascinating ways.