The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMusicLive music

Fairport Convention at the Union Chapel

Fairport Convention at the Union Chapel | Live review
5 March 2016
Georgie Cowan-Turner
Avatar
Shot by Matthew Pull
Avatar
Georgie Cowan-Turner Shot by Matthew Pull
5 March 2016

Music review

Georgie Cowan-Turner

Fairport Convention at the Union Chapel

★★★★★

Highlights

My Love Is in America, John Condon

Links

Twitter Facebook Website

“Live shows are what keep us going,” admits lead vocalist and guitarist Simon Nicol, the only remaining founder of Fairport Convention. It’s the band’s charisma and obvious love for what they do that makes them such a pleasure to watch. The members do not attempt to hide their age or parody their younger selves, readily admitting when they need to take an interval. They have been on the road for some 50 years, and yet their hefty two-hour set still manages to surprise the crowd.

The chemistry amongst the band members is unquestionable, their humour and warmth infectious as they manage to verify Nicol’s claim that their winter tour “brings a dash of brightness and warmth to the dark cold evenings of January and February.” Set against the stunning backdrop of the Union Chapel, the songs are crisp and powerful. The set flits between tracks from all of their albums, with Nicol remarking on the random prevalence of tracks about soldiers named John, in both John Condon and Lord Marlborough. Chris Leslie, the newest member of the band having contributed for only 20 years, came into his own with the iconic My Love Is in America. But the band’s charm lies not in any individual member, but in their synchronisation, which Nicol also draws the audience’s attention to. It’s uplifting to see a group of people so obviously enjoying one another’s company. Clear Water is hypnotic in its setting, with blue-green lights colouring the stage and spraying the walls of the chapel. 

On the whole, the performance is calm, easy listening. More audience members can be found enjoying hot chocolate – complete with Emma Bridgewater mugs – than drinking the alcoholic beverages usually expected at gigs: Fairport Convention are the perfect antidote to chaotic modern life. There is something about folk music’s emphasis on musical storytelling and tradition that is invigorated by the historical setting of the church venue – the melodies warm the audience. The band are so established in their genre that their sound has begun to emulate that of those who imitate them; perhaps it’s their modesty, nimbleness, and confidence onstage that set the band apart from and above their descendants.

★★★★★

Georgie Cowan-Turner
Photos: Matthew Pull

For further information about Fairport Convention and future events visit here.

Watch the video for John Condon here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Itemslive musicreview

More in Live music

Adele lights up Hyde Park for BST Festival

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo

★★★★★
Diletta Lobuono
Read More

The Rollings Stones give Glasto a run for its money at BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Sarah Bradbury
Read More

Eagles bring a nostalgia-laden evening to the BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium

★★★★★
Bev Lung
Read More

Elton John sparkles on his Farewell tour at BST Festival in Hyde Park

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

Twenty One Pilots at Brixton Academy

★★★★★
Regan Harle
Read More

Imagine Dragons at MK Stadium

★★★★★
Katherine Parry
Read More

Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds at Kenwood House

★★★★★
Francis Nash
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Music review

Georgie Cowan-Turner

Fairport Convention at the Union Chapel

★★★★★

Highlights

My Love Is in America, John Condon

Links

Twitter Facebook Website

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • St Vincent at the Hammersmith Apollo
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Netflix Walking Tour: From Bridgerton to The Crown, a free walking tour through the filming locations
    Cinema & Tv
  • The Throne at Charing Cross Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • “We really wanted to create a cabbage gun”: An interview with David Earl and Chris Hayward stars of Brian and Charles
    Cinema & Tv
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Ithaka
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Paolo Nutini – Last Night in the Bittersweet
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Viagra Boys – Cave World
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Railway Children Return
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Adele lights up Hyde Park for BST Festival
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Beauty and the Beast: The Musical at London Palladium
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Foxes at the Roundhouse | Live review
Stiff Little Fingers at the Forum | Live review