“Vigorous and confident…the music leapt around the room” –The Mirror
Iconic folk group Fairport Convention will celebrate their golden anniversary in 2017 with a UK & Ireland winter tour, a brand new album and a headline slot at The Atkinson’s Love Folk Festival!
The folk-rock heroes will be marking 50 years of performances with an extensive series of dates and the release of ’50:50@50′ which features new original songs and live recordings of various fan favourites.
The winter tour will see the band playing a selection of tracks from the new record, alongside established hits from their ever-growing repertoire as the Friday night headliners for the Love Folk Festival at The Atkinson on Friday 10 February.
Founding member Simon Nicol hasn’t lost the buzz of performing even after a half-century of tours. “Fairport Convention have been extraordinarily fortunate to create a work ethic based on live performance” says Nicol. “As someone whose hobby ultimately became a career, I’m happy every time the van pulls up outside my house to take me off on my travels, where the stage awaits, and I get a chance to make everyone happy that they made the choice to buy a ticket.”
The group, who revolutionised British folk music with their electric sound and traditional tunes in the summer of love of 1967, has survived numerous lineup changes over the decades and still performs with the passion and precision their reputation demands.
It’s not just the audiences who keep coming; Fairport Convention still attracts critical acclaim and won a coveted BBC Lifetime Achievement Award at the turn of the century. Radio 2 listeners also voted one of British folk music’s high water marks – the groundbreaking album ‘Liege & Lief’ – ‘The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’ around the same time and the band still play many songs from the disc during their performances.
Fairport Convention’s current line-up is the longest running in the band’s history, and with Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar, Chris Leslie on fiddle, mandolin and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin and Gerry Conway on drums and percussion, audiences across the land will be in safe hands for an unforgettable night of folk history.
“Impressive musicians with a great back catalogue… (they) take chances and clearly enjoy themselves” – The Guardian
Opening the concerts on this celebratory tour will be BBC TV’s ‘The Voice’ 2014 Runner Up, Sally Barker, one of England’s most talented singer-songwriters and formerly of all-girl folk group, The Poozies.
The 2017 Love Folk Festival line-up also includes; Jon Boden, Lady Maisery, Sam Kelly and the Lost Boys, Folklaw and Luke Jackson. Festival tickets are £48.
To find out about our full programme of events, exhibitions and activities join the e-newsletter mailing list.
Fairport Convention performs at The Atkinson on Friday 10 February at 7.30pm. Tickets are £20 or £48 for a full Love Folk Festival weekend ticket. To book or find out more information please visit theatkinson.co.uk or call our friendly Box Office team on 01704 533333.
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LISTING INFORMATION
For interviews or press tickets/photos please contact Emma Lloyd Emma.lloyd@sefton.gov.uk / 0151 934 2129
Love Folk Festival
Fairport Convention
Friday 10 February
7.30pm
*£20
Love Folk Festival
Friday 10 February
7.30pm – Fairport Convention
Saturday 11 February
12.30pm – Luke Jackson
2.30pm – Lady Maisery
4.30pm – Folklaw
7pm – Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys
8.30pm – Jon Boden Solo | Theatre
Festival ticket: £48
*Please be advised that there is a £1 per ticket booking fee for telephone and online sales and a 2% fee for credit cards at the Box Office.
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About The Atkinson
The Atkinson is Southport’s beautiful new home for music, theatre, art, poetry, literature and history, right in the middle of Lord Street in Southport. Significant investment has been made in refurbishing the stunning 19th century buildings, to create a really welcoming multi art-form venue with a strong contemporary feel.
The Atkinson offers an exciting and varied destination for families, cultural tourists and arts enthusiasts alike, with a full day and night time offer. Wile the day away visiting the new shop, that sells gifts and contemporary crafts from regional makers and then relax in the Bakery, choosing from a selection of artisan bread sandwiches, cakes and sharing platters. You can even take little bit of The Atkinson home with you from the delicatessen. Wander through the major exhibitions and see performances from some of the UK’s foremost musicians, actors, performers and companies, films, family activities and much more.
The new Museum is now open. Sefton Between Land & Sea tells the story of Southport and Sefton as well as the area’s dramatic maritime history. While Discover Ancient Egypt – the new Egyptology Gallery is the home of the Goodison Egyptology Collection, a remarkable collection of archaeology that has not been seen for over 40 years.
Posted on 7 December 2016 under General news
