Venue:
Union Chapel, Islington
Date: 27/05/2017
The whole experience was ameliorated, for me, by the guitar-trying in Denmark Street, the browsing through Rough Trade and the Italian meal earlier. Taking with me, as I did, a fairly non-commital (but huge music fan) friend it was interesting to gauge the gig through the prism of his reactions. Firstly, Simon made a point of thanking everyone for coming and making clear that they were just going to “do what we do”, which certainly managed the expectations of anyone who, say, had flown in from South Africa for the gig as the chap sitting behind and to the left of me had.
The set list was pretty much as you might expect – nothing pulled out of the bag to surprise and delight any hard core nerdists, but a nice selection of early material mixed in with stuff from the new album which, to be polite, served to highlight the enormous gulf in quality between the two. I wasn’t familiar with the new songs prior to the gig, but I found myself agreeing with a few comments I’d read online previously as regards their depth. It’s probably unfair to drop ‘Summer by the Cherwell’ and ‘Our Bus Rolls On’ into a set next to ‘Genesis Hall’, so I’d probably prefer it in future if they didn’t.
Having said that, ‘Slipjigs no Reels’ was a timely reminder of the strength of the band’s mid-nineties renaissance. Dipping into that particular well a bit more often might be something to savour. I’m firmly in the pro Simon-sings-Sandy camp, and so his takes on WKWTTG and Fotheringay were particular highlights for me, not least because the introduction of a Sandy song seems to at least prompt the idea of getting Chris Leslie to pick up his fiddle, and the sound of him and Ric in harness together is a thing of beauty and wonder. All too soon, it seems, Chris is back off to rhythm mandolin, which isn’t the best use of either the instrument or his talents, IMHO, OOAA.
Jacque McShee was in fine voice for her one guest spot, and Sally Barker essayed a sterling ‘Rising for the Moon’ during which it was hard not to reflect on the number of participants in the making of that that record who will never cross our paths again. The poignancy of the moment was not lost, I think, on anyone.
The closing chapters of the show bought a lovely tribute to Ralph McTell from Simon prior to a resonant ‘Hiring Fair’ – I should say that mid-tour, and for a man of his experience, he was in fine, strong voice – I wouldn’t be surprised if the suggestion that he’s had some coaching were to be completely founded – and then the farce of going offstage before being called back for the MotL ‘encore’, during which my gig-buddy pointed out that it can only be force of habit which suggests that Simon needs to prompt the crowd in what the next line of the chorus should be.
Out of the doors by 10:40, back on the train home within the hour. That was a grand day out. Our fears for the quality of the sound up in the gods were blissfully unfounded, a tribute to the sensitive work of the chaps on the desk(s), and it was only left to my friend to remark on the stage craft. “Yeah, he’s funny, but they could have played another two songs during that routine” and “They do all look a bit like they’ve gone to a barbecue. Except Peggy – he looks like he’s in charge of the barbecue…”
The audience:
You have never seen an audience look more like their band, or vice versa.
It made me think..
Although, to be fair, they’ve only got ten years on Paul Weller.
Arrived with not much hope
Thought the first half was 25% good 75% poor
Second half 90% good 10% poor.
Had not heard the DIY, Bus, Cherwell songs before and feel I don’t need to hear them ever again.
Think there was expectation of much more as it had been advertised as a 50th anniversary gig. Hence one of our number had decided it wasn’t worth the 400 mile trip when it was pointed out earlier this week it would be an ordinary gig.
Though our friends from Germany enjoyed it. Hopefully Cropredy will be more of a celebration.
Good to see you.
I agree with all of that, and the comparison of Summer by the Cherwell with Genesis Hall is exactly the same on I made to @hubert-rawlinson when we ran into each other at the interval. Union Chapel had initially sold this as a big 50th anniversary gig and there was disappointment among Fairport Facebook p[ages that it was really just a London gig on their current tour.
I’ve been to Union Chapel several times but never seen a queue like it. We got there in time for the doors to open, expecting a dozen or so people as usual, but the queue already stretched to Canonbury Lane and when we got in 40 minutes later the downstairs was full. I’ve heard worse sound upstairs at Union Chapel but last night was decent, though Peggy’s bass got a little lost. The upper seats allowed maximum appreciation of the gorgeous building though.
Sorry it was @gatz I spoke to not @skirky though I think we’re all in agreement. Touch of quality control, more twin fiddles. Much better.
this might be the place to mention that the new 7CD box set has been listed over at Spincds.com – £44, though. So I’ll pass. Probably.
Although, in fairness, the new set is a world away from the usual anthology/compilation they usually suffer. I think less than half of it has legitimately seen the light of day before and that’s still around mid-price per CD.
Now THAT is my kind of festival –
Warm and very alcoholic beer, Fairport Convention, Judy Dyble (“play Goodbye Mercy Kelly”) and Petula Clark.
Proof, if proof were needed, that Pet’s not just for Christmas.
Couldn’t move it nearer West Cornwall, could you?
I went and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
The sound was a wee bit muffled on occasion but, in general, it was a very fine gig
(By the looks of the photos you must have been sat very near me Gatz)
Second to back row, because it was the closest the 4 of us could get a central block of seats together..
Second from the back upstairs in the middle section? Didn’t have a cup of tea just prior to the set by any chance?
Erm, no – but the 4 of us shared a bottle of house red and a jug of tap water with our pizzas at La Porchetta further down Upper Street before the gig if that’s any help?
La Divina for us.
In between the two is Radici, on Almeida Street, which Jay Rayner gave a rave review in a recent Guardian.
We’re back at Union Chapel on Thursday for Thea Gilmore (just The Light and me this time). The food at La Porchetta was a bit disappointing on Saturday so we might try La Divina for dinner instead.
Love the Fairports and was going to buy the 50th anniversary album until I heard Simmer by the Cher well which was dreadful enough to dispel any notion of buying the album.
It is indeed a dire album with very little of credit: the best track is a live version of a fairly recent song, Mercy Bay. Having said, Summer by the Cherwell and When Our Bus Rolls In, the 2 “autobiographical” songs, both excruciatingly twee, made me wonder how the not dissimilar conceptually of Angel Delight was taken in 1970 or whenever.
I bought it as homework for this years Cropredy, which I am going to as a duty call to their legacy, as, it seems, are many. OK, and RT with the classic line-up of Nicol, Pegg, Mattacks with Collister, C. for both Linda duties and her own (No chance of Gregson, C and John Kirkpatrick sadly unlikely)
Started listening to Fairport later than Angel Delight. So I can’t comment on a contemporary view.
But as they were all living together at the Angel in Little Haddham and ‘getting it together in the country’ the song reflects their situation at the time with a degree of humour.
The new ‘songs’ seem to be twee for tweeness sake, ( and dull).
Hopefully Cropredy will reawaken my love for the band.