Rosher.Net

I’ve been a fan of Fairport Convention for probably thirty-five years – almost as long as I have been of Jethro Tull, who introduced me to them via bass-magician Dave Pegg – who played for them both. This year is Fairport’s forty-fifth year in the folk-rock business, and Miss and I went along to the Stroud Subscription Rooms on 12th May to hear them play.

The Subscription Rooms are /is a great venue. The bar sells good local Stroud ale, and the seating is replete with tables so that you could take the beer into the concert – how civilised. Indeed, in many ways it had the same friendly atmosphere as does the annual Cropredy Reunion Festival (to which we’ll be going, later this year).

This year, to celebrate their longevity, Fairport compiled a CD of new recordings of most requested songs and tunes, and they played many or these at the gig. Happily, the lady at the merch desk wasn’t interested in taking my credit card, so I couldn’t buy the CD, or the other two I’d not got in my collection (Babbacombe Lee Live Again, and The Festival Bell – named after the village church bell the band sponsored). Happily even more, Miss had cash, and bought all three!

The gig was great, the beer was great and the venue was great (Miss was great too). I chatted with Peggy after the gig and he said they’ve just driven down from a gig in Perth and Kinross in Scotland prior to appearing in Stroud (some 377 miles according to Google!) and Simon had had a dodgy bottie all the way down! Well it didn’t seem to affect the singing, Simon. At least, I supp0se, he didn’t shit himself on stage like some people… Who’d be a folk-rock star?! LOL

All that chatting meant I was too late getting back to the bar, where I’d intended to nick the gig poster on the wall – someone else got there first! Bugrit! But… heh… they didn’t get the one on the wall half way down the stairs! Grin. The doorman watched and said nothing… I think perhaps if I’d been seventeen he’d have done so, but such a respectable looking old gent? Must be seeing things… old people today…