Travelling to Chesterfield's beautiful Winding Wheel theatre feels like visiting old friends as it usually involves Fairport Convention and their annual Win-tour (see what they've done there?) jaunt round Britain during February and March.
Compare for tonight's' performance is Fairport bass player Dave 'Peggy' Pegg who is incapable of fulfilling his regular bass playing duties due to an injury which is unlikely to feature in any Motley Crue or Ozzy autobiography caused by emptying a dishwasher.
Opening the show is Edwina Hayes a solo guitarist with a rich folky-country vocal and easy self-deprecating style which wins over the audience. As tradition dictates Fairport join their support for their final track, on this occasion a cover of John Prine's 'Speed of the sound of Loneliness'
First track of Fairport's set is 'Jewel in the Crown' an ironic comment on the establishment of the British Empire and co-incidental a Banbury curry house appearing on the rear cover of the album of the same name. 'Doctor of Physick' is the first (though surely not last) old boys Richard Thompson/ Dave Swarbrick composition featuring the doctor you wouldn't want providing home visits.
Instrumental 'Dirty Linen' highlights Peggy's able replacement, his son Matt, who covers the bass playing duties tonight; however the vocals are noticeably thinner without Peggy's backing. Fortunately after the interval, or “merchandising opportunity” as it's often known, Peggy is back to help out on 'Farewell, Farewell', 'The Wassail Song' and 'The Happy Man'.
New track 'Myths and Legends' shows that even a band in their 5th decade can still 'rock out', surprising the audience and the band themselves, but no time for oxygen or a rest as Edwina Hayes returns to add vocals to Sandy Denny's 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes?'.
Usual set closer ' Matty Groves' with Chris Leslie's new banjo introduction tells the perennial tale of the bored lady of the manor (read WAG today) having an affair with the younger hired help and the consequences when the rich husband finds out.
The encore is as always the best known Thompson/Swarbrick track ' Meet on the Ledge' with its sing-a- long chorus “If you really means it, it all comes around again”, and with old friends like these we can be sure it will do just that.
Alisdair Whyte
