Fairport Convention, Basingstoke Anvil 11/2/04

As you can see it's a while since I've updated the blog! Got back home on Friday to see Bill waiting for me with the car door open. He'd heated a pasty for me and I had to eat it in the car. That was my supper!
Fairport's support were Simon Mayor and Hilary James. Despite looking like Richard and Judy, they proved to be very accomplished and witty folk musicians. But Fairport were excellent! It was the first time we'd seen them away from Cropredy.
Their current lineup is Simon Nicol (acoustic and electric guitars), Dave Pegg (bass and mandolin), Gerry Conway (percussion), Ric Sanders (fiddle) and Chris Leslie (fiddle, bouzouki and mandolin). Only Simon was in the original band! Richard Thompson will be back on his own at Cropredy 2005. Dave Swarbrick is still very poorly, but has new lungs now and they are said to be getting used to him! Saw Ashley Hutchings, their original bassist, recently of course.
They played lots of my favourites including Matty Groves, Walk Awhile , Si Tu Dois Partir and Steve Tilston's Girl on a Nut Brown Mare, as well as lots of songs from their new album Over The Next Hill (yes, they've heard all the don't-forget-the-'next' jokes!)
Can't wait till Cropredy now!