Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Location: Piazza Unita D'Italia / Trieste / Italy
Concert date: 21.07.2007
Attendance: 600
Ticket price: free entry
This time our trio of budding fans of country idylls, forest edges and farmhouse parlors made its way to our neighbors in Trieste, where a summer folk festival promised a free show by the legendary Fairport Convention, the inventors of English folk rock, who are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their career this year. The band that gave the rock world a masterpiece like “Liege & Lief” (1969), voted the most influential folk rock album of all time, and that received a Lifetime Achievement Award for popular music from the BBC in 2002, has a very colorful and turbulent history behind it. Since they got going they’ve survived everything under the sun, from constant lineup changes to the breakup in 1979 and the resurrection in the mid-80s. Of the original members, only guitarist Simon Nicol is still around, with Chris Leslie on mandolin/violin, Ric Sanders on violin/viola and two former Jethro Tull members, Dave Pegg on bass and Gerry Conway on drums, keeping him company in recent years. So this is a band of seasoned old tomcats of their craft, whose show should never go unnoticed, even if there’s far less interest in their music here than such greats deserve, given how much they shaped the music scene of the late 60s, and how many bands still carry their influence today.
Since your average Slovenian is usually much closer to homegrown and Balkan turbo-folk cevapcici-joint fare than to traditional British music rooted in the heritage of the Celts and the Picts, it was no surprise that we didn’t spot a single one of our countrymen down in front of the stage. Frankly, we didn’t care much either, since we came mainly to enjoy acoustic-tinged melodies of guaranteed quality. What to expect was a totally relaxed and cheerful atmosphere right by the seashore, whose nearby breeze brought some much-needed cool in these hot days. One look at the town square was enough to confirm it: a lavish stage rising above a cluster of chairs, where fans and random passersby alike could sit down. The stage setup hinted at an acoustic show, since there was no drum kit anywhere, only bongos, a few cymbals, some small drums and assorted percussion. Just as suspicious was the absence of a bass guitar, and the fact that there was one chair fewer on stage than you’d usually expect for a five-piece. We only found out why after almost 15 minutes of deadly dull droning from a local announcer, followed by a personal apology from the organizer, who told us that Dave Pegg was absent because he was recovering in the hospital after a serious operation. Would the remaining four be up to the expectations of an audience hungry for good folk rock, and to a repertoire spanning their entire career? Once all four jolly fellows appeared on stage (between songs they tossed out a whole heap of witty anecdotes) and sat down on their little stools, Celtic magic instantly enveloped the Trieste square.
“Over The Next Hill” from the album of the same name was picked as the opener. I expected them to need quite some time to get in sync, warm up and shake off the tension that hung in the air over Pegg’s absence, but even as a quartet they managed to create a good vibe pretty quickly. The gents sat in a fairly tight arrangement: Ric Sanders with his violin on the left, his “twin” Chris Leslie on the right, Simon Nicol in between, and Gerry Conway behind the bongos, with a whole collection of assorted percussion stashed under them. Nicol and Leslie traded off vocals in harmony, giving the individual songs very different undertones (Chris handled the higher notes and now and then even sounded like Geedy Lee of Rush to my ears). Chris also took the lead vocal on “Woodworm’ Swing”, though he impressed most with his virtuoso mandolin playing. And when he picked up the violin, he and Ric made a wonderfully harmonious duo. Meanwhile Simon tried to cover some of the bass parts usually handled by his absent comrade. “Keep On Turnin’ The Wheel”, the first track from the new album Sense Of Occasion” (2007), kicked off a run of Celtic romps, of which there were plenty that night. The lesser-known pieces, like the instrumentals “The Sheriff’s Dance” and “Canny Capers” (Over The Next Hill, 2002), also went down very well with the crowd. Then again, it was the classics like “Genesis Hall” (Unhalfbricking, 1969) that brought most of their fans out. The first peak of the night was the gorgeous “Spring Song” from the current album, one of those tracks that confirm Fairport can still sound remarkably fresh in the new millennium. From the 80s they dug out the excellent instrumental “Portmerion” (Expletive Delighted, 1987), which showed off their melancholic side too.
Next, Simon told the story of how, as a kid, he wanted to buy a guitar he’d once spotted in a shop window on his way to school. He eventually managed to make his wish come true and buy that guitar, but by then it had already become outdated, which he didn’t lose any sleep over. The story of his first guitar came to life in “The Wood And The Wire”, which he sang himself and which I’d even call pub rock. The next track, “I’m Already There” (Over The Next Hill), which also showed off their knack for longer, more complex (I might even say more progressive) pieces, was introduced by Simon as the story of two brothers who leave for Canada and go down completely different paths in life. At least in mood, the whole thing leaned a bit toward Rush (ironically, they’re from Canada too), mostly thanks to the vocals. Rush, of course, with the electricity switched off and the bass and drums removed. In my opinion, another highlight of the night. And the surprises were far from over. After the excellent “The Hiring Fair” (Glady’s Leap, 1980), they went straight into “Summertime”, the classic by George Gershvin, where they pushed to the limit just what superb musicians they are, and how far this is from a band whose music belongs only in Irish pubs and hunting lodges. To my ears and eyes, that rendition of a classic and Ric’s superb violin solo were the peak of the show. Fairport are generally considered jokers and positive thinkers, but their history has also piled up plenty of melancholic ballads. One of them is “John Gaudie”, which carried the audience into that Celtic sorrow so typical of most music from the British Isles. After a very short break and thunderous ovations, the band returned to the stage and served up a song that, in Simon’s words, is an important part of their legacy. It was time for their beloved classic “Meet On The Ledge” (What We Did At Our Holidays, 1968), during which the otherwise remarkably calm audience joined in on the choruses. Apart from a local oddball who turned up in front of the stage at one point with a glass in his hand and whose mere presence was seriously cracking us up, this was one of the most cultured and “chilled-out” rock gigs I can remember.
The band was very tight, everyone was visibly enjoying the show, and they said several times that they’d never played such a beautiful venue (very likely a stock phrase, but delivered pretty sincerely). They offered a balanced selection of pieces from their entire career, which managed to charm even in acoustic form. For an acoustic show, the sound system was beyond all expectations. So we witnessed a top-notch demonstration of excellent British folk rock from old warhorses who, even in a “weakened” lineup, created a wonderfully playful atmosphere, and who also impressed with their remarkable approachability and kindness, which we got to see for ourselves after the show when we exchanged a few quick words with violinist Ric. Fairport Convention proved they’re a band with a huge heart, and despite the apparent simplicity of most of their songs and the enviable age of most of the members, they fully justified their reputation as the greatest folk rock band of all time, even as instrumentalists. Even those who weren’t fans could enjoy this thoroughly down-to-earth, free show by the sea. If only more bands took a similar approach and built such a wide bridge between stage and audience as these legendary old-timers did that evening.
Setlist
1. On the Next Hill
2. Woodworm Swing
3. Keep on Turning the Wheel
4. Sheriff’s Ride
5. Genesis Hall
6. Canny Capers
7. Spring Song
8. From Cropredy To Portmeirion
9. The Wood and the Wire
10. I’m Already There
11. The Hiring Fair
12. Summertime
13. John Gaudie
—encore—
14. Meet on the Ledge
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