Preview: Fairport Convention announce Autumn 2023 UK Tour, celebrating 56 years of British folk rock

Image from the Fairport Convention archive

We do tend to view some bands as Americana alumni royalty here in AUK Towers, so it’s a delight to announce that following their return to the fields of Oxfordshire for their Cropredy Convention in August, legendary British folk rockers Fairport Convention are touring around the UK over the autumn. Starting in Lowdham’s The Village Hall this coming Friday, October 6th, the nationwide jaunt will take in 25 dates across England, Scotland and Wales, before winding up at The Exchange in Twickenham on Saturday 4th November, and some dates are already sold out. This follows an already packed year of shows – including the band’s Winter Tour earlier in the year, in the company of celebrated former-drummer Dave Mattacks – plus forays to both France and Ibiza, as well as a handful of summer warm-up dates.

The band’s Simon Nicol commented: “As ever, the excitement steadily grows as Cropredy weekend looms larger in the calendar: without doubt it is the personal highlight of the year for each of us in the band as well as for many of the regular attendees. Who will deliver the greatest surprise? Whose performance will live longest in the memory? Will there be an actual “you had to be there….” moment? All the build up and then suddenly the moment is gone and we have another twelve months to wait – but the batteries have been recharged and the level of love for all things Fairport is polished like the trophy it is. When October comes round, we’ll be regrouping and returning to our natural home – the van on a motorway somewhere, back on the road and touring our music on smaller stages around the country, revisiting favourites and making new ones, seeing old friends and eating and drinking in favourite watering holes: returning in a small way the love people bring from their home towns to the Brigadoon which is the Festival site of Cropredy. We hope you can come and join the fun and enjoy the songs old and new.”

With more than half a century’s back catalogue to choose from, fans can expect to hear long-established Fairport favourites, surprises from albums old and new, and maybe even the odd unexpected cover.

Fairport Convention Tour Dates 2024:

6 October – Village Hall, Lowdham (SOLD OUT)
7 October – Blackfriars Arts Centre, Boston
8 October – Junction, Goole
9 October – The Mill, Banbury
11 October – Norden Farm, Maidenhead
12 October – Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek
13 October – Town Hall, Masham
14 October – Victoria Hall, Settle
15 October – Assembly Rooms, Melbourne (SOLD OUT)
18 October – Sundial Theatre, Cirencester
19 October – Acapela Studio, Pentyrch (SOLD OUT)
20 October – The Beehive, Honiton
21 October – Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green
22 October – Chilham Village Hall, Canterbury (SOLD OUT)
24 October – Crookes Club, Sheffield (SOLD OUT)
25 October – City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds
26 October – Old Fire Station, Carlisle
27 October – Queen’s Hall, Hexham
28 October – The Maltings, Berwick upon Tweed
29 October – Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
31 October – Junction, Cambridge
1 November – Cromer Pier, Cromer
2 November – Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh
3 November – St Andrews Church, Hertford (SOLD OUT)
4 November – The Exchange, Twickenham

 

About Mark Whitfield 2068 Articles
Editor of Americana UK website, the UK's leading home for americana news and reviews since 2001 (when life was simpler, at least for the first 253 days)
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