Going past Gold: Fairport leap around from town to town...
FAIRPORT Convention, still one of the busiest bands around, will return to Southport on their 2018 UK Winter Tour.
The folk-rock legends follow a successful golden anniversary year in 2017 by doing what they do better than anyone else: getting back on the bus, covering the length of the UK over 28 dates and breathing new life into old and new material on the road.
Fifty years is a long time, but it passes quickly when littered with classic albums, legendary lineups, critical acclaim and awards.
The story of Fairport Convention is also set to be chronicled in a forthcoming major Sky Arts documentary to be aired later this year, as the group’s legacy continues to be celebrated.
Winners of the coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, Fairport were also delighted to see their groundbreaking Leige & Lief record voted Radio 2’s Most Influential Folk Album of All Time by listeners.
This year’s Winter Tour will feature a mix of longestablished Fairport favourites and new material from their most recent, critically-acclaimed, studio album ‘50:50@50’.
Fairport Convention features Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals; Dave Pegg on bass guitar; Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals; Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion.
Whether you are a longtime fan or a newcomer to their music, an evening with Fairport Convention will surprise and delight you.
The concerts will also feature an opening performance by singer/songwriter duo Winter Wilson, who have become favourites on the folk scene in the UK and as far away as Australia.
Winter Wilson are a couple who turned the nightmare of redundancy into a dream of playing music for a living.
“We gave ourselves a year to see how things would turn out,” says singer Kip Winter.
“Five years later we are still getting away with it! It’s not easy, but playing music professionally beats working for a living.”
Fairport Convention come to The Atkinson on Friday, January 26.
Show times: Winter Wilson: 7.30pm-8pm, Fairport Convention: 8pm9pm/ interval/ 9.20pm-10.40pm
Tickets cost £26 from www.theatkinson.co.uk